Melancholy and Bliss
by TsubasaQ
Summary: Ginny struggled with herself over the summer holiday, and finds that, even with the approach of the new school year, she cannot ignore the emptiness inside. Can a certain Slytherin help her? Rated M for language and some adult content
1. Unexpected

**Melancholy and Bliss**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters you know from the Harry Potter series. I am not JK Rowling because I would be publishing this for money if I were.

Chapter 1 - Unexpected

"C'mon, Ginny! We're gonna be late!"

Ginny rolled her eyes at the sound of Ron's call and returned to her packing. She placed the final robe in the trunk and threw in her shoes.

Clasping the large iron locks, she heaved the trunk off the bed. She looked at herself in the mirror, sighing at her reflection. She knew that others saw an attractive girl, and Ginny supposed that she could see how they might think that. She was 5' 6" and slight, her curves finally having become the round, proportional shapes of a woman, rather than the lanky, awkward build the Weasley kids all seemed to go through. Her athleticism didn't hurt anything, and the firm, lean muscle lay well on her frame. She was thin, fit, and well built, and got plenty of compliments at school, but Ginny just couldn't see herself as anything but an awkward, unremarkable girl. The red hair and freckles that marked her as a Weasley, that made her a target for the Slytherins, and the hand-me-down robes and clothing she altered to fit her but still looked secondhand. She saw nothing attractive in that.

And then there was Harry. Ginny shook her head in disgust and confusion, thinking about Harry's sudden shift in behavior. She knew that he had seen Dumbledore die, and really, did any of them take the death well? No, but that didn't excuse his bad attitude, entitlement, and possessive treatment of Ginny. They had dated last year, but he had been the one to break it off. She didn't much care, but she bristled when he spoke to her like she was his property. She opened the door to her room and put the trunk outside, almost crushing Harry's foot.

"Watch it, Harry," she said, her voice tinged with annoyance. _Speak of the Devil._ She hated it when he would just appear outside the door. She felt cornered and defensive, which made her angry. Ginny was definitely not the passive type and wouldn't take that kind of treatment from anyone, but it seemed to only encourage Harry. He seemed to be perpetually flirting with her now. Away from Ron, of course, who would probably beat Harry into the ground for being so forward with his sister. Ginny knew exactly what he wanted, and she wasn't about to give it to him.

"Oh, please, Ginny," Harry replied, his face set in the seductive smirk that made almost every Hogwarts girl (and a few of the guys) melt, "you couldn't hurt me if you wanted to."

_Why does he think that's attractive?_ she thought in pure confusion. She hated being treated like a weak little piece of meat. She may not feel terribly attractive, but that attitude just got under her skin. Her face set in a hard, emotionless expression, hiding her reaction, and she dropped into a fighting stance. "Try me," she said, her voice low and threatening. Harry brushed it off, tapping Ginny on the head lightly.

"Maybe later," he replied, his voice just as low, husky where hers was hostile, "but right now…" His hand trailed up the curve of her waist, his face drawing close to hers, looking possessive. Bile rose in her throat at his expression.

Harry doubled over with the force of Ginny's blow to his crotch. As he dropped, she snapped her foot up and around, her roundhouse kick connecting with the side of Harry's head. Ginny fell back into stance, then stood, glaring down at Harry, who was now curled up in pain on the second-floor landing. "Don't you _dare_," she hissed at him, her voice low and shaking with violent hatred.

"Ginny, Harry, let's – HARRY!" Mrs. Weasley rushed up the stairs, shocked to see the seventeen-year-old boy curled up in obvious pain at her daughter's feet. "WHAT HAPPENED?" At this acclamation, Ron and the other Weasley men ran into the room. Ron ran up the stairs behind his mother.

"What happened?" Ginny repeated mildly, her voice once again calm; too calm. "What happened was the horny bastard can't keep his hands to himself." Ginny turned to Ron. His hands were clenched into white-knuckled fists, glaring at his friend in both anger and disbelief. She looked him in the eye and spoke in her too calm voice; the tone she only used when she was extremely angry. "I suggest you keep him away from me, Ron. He may not survive next time." She heard Ron mumble something about killing Harry himself before she turned away.

Ginny hoisted her loaded trunk with an uncommon ease – _Must be the adrenaline_, she thought – and walked out to her father's used Muggle Nissan, placing it in the car's storage area and herself in the front seat.

* * *

She stood on Platform 9 at King's Cross Station, looking around at the foot traffic on the concourse. She was a good 30 feet away from her family, finding their chaos too much for her. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as yet another stranger wolf-whistled at her, trying to ignore the attention. Both boys and girls had stopped her on the way to the platform, giving compliments, requests, and offers from members of both sexes. A few girlfriends shot jealous glares her way, as well. Ginny had just tried to accept the compliments gracefully and keep going.

She glanced toward her family and saw Harry glaring at her, though still lustily. She almost shook her head; he still hadn't learned his lesson. She bristled a little bit at his possessiveness, but didn't react outwardly.

Turning from his gaze, Ginny strode through the barrier onto Platform 9¾. She climbed into the train, completely unfazed by the scarlet engine. She slid her trunk under a bench in her selected compartment (which was completely devoid of people) and lied down on her back, sighing and closing her eyes.

* * *

Draco ran his hand through his hair as he climbed onto the train, calming himself. Potter was being more of an ass than usual this year, and it hadn't taken any effort on his part to get him riled up. In fact, Potter had started it. Draco knew that he shouldn't have reacted, but it had been more than he could stand when Potter had spat out that horrid title. _Death Eater…_ He rubbed the scar on his arm absently, then shook himself and strode down the train toward the Prefects' compartment. He walked up to the door and noticed how crowded the space was. He didn't want to deal with so many people. He would have enough of that this year, being Head Boy.

_Head Boy, yeah, that was strange. _He didn't know who this new Headmaster was, but he couldn't help but wonder if it was one of the Dark Lord's minions. It would make sense that Voldemort would take advantage of the opening, and since he thought Draco was loyal, making him Head Boy was just another set of high-powered eyes. Little did the Dark Lord know that Draco was completely against his agenda now, and he certainly wouldn't be playing along.

He turned around and walked back down the aisle, looking from compartment to compartment until he realized that there was only one compartment with space. Ginny Weasley lay on the bench in the small space, the only one in the small room. He fidgeted for a moment with the Head Boy badge in his pocket and then took a breath and raised his hand.

* * *

Why didn't he understand that she wasn't his anymore? It wasn't as though she'd really paid him much attention over the summer. She'd certainly tried to be social and had taken part in the various things her family had done over the summer, but she wasn't really interested in being too close to people.

Ginny sighed to herself. It didn't seem to matter what she did, she had always found herself slipping into depression. The grave air that hung around whenever there was silence or when someone mentioned Dumbledore didn't help things, but it had also covered for her moments where her face would glaze over for a moment. She was glad to be going back to school. She could bury herself in her schoolwork and push herself on the Quidditch pitch and ignore the empty, melancholy feeling that overtook her in quiet moments.

A small knock on the glass door startled her, and she rose and looked through the door of the compartment. _What in the world…?_ Draco Malfoy stood outside her door, looking somewhat sheepish and guarded, an expression she had never seen on his face before. Ginny rose and slid the door open. "What do you want, Malfoy?" There was polite curiosity in her voice; no trace of her customary hostility. She surprised herself.

Malfoy seemed surprised too, and Ginny raised her eyebrows as a slight blush came up on his face. "Can I sit in here? Everywhere else is full."

* * *

A/N, 6 October 2011: After returning to this story roughly 5 years after I started writing this story, I finally posted Chapter 7 when a friend reminded me about this particular project. Within 12 hours of updating the story, I received two reviews about the first chapter, one a flame about my Harry-bashing and flat characterization of Ginny, and one that was slightly more constructive.

I considered the statements and agreed that the first chapters were very short and the characterization was flat. I was in a bit of a Harry-bashing period at the time, and there was a reason for Harry's extremely OOC behavior to be revealed in later chapters. In Ginny's case, yes, she was rather flat, and the detailed description and focus on the physical was perhaps awkward, but even that had a reason. Plus, I was writing this as a junior in high school and in my free time. It's a romance, and I was a teenage girl. It was fluffy, despite my effort to not look fluffy. I didn't develop the characters, partially because this is an altered timeline from the original stories, not an in-line side plot to be read alongside the books, and partially because I had ideas of certain things I wanted to have happen in the story and was more interested in making those things happen than the depth of characterization. The events of Chapter 6 were intended to be the catalyst for characterization, and explanations of the uncharacteristic behavior were planned to happen as the story developed.

I didn't have a plan here. The story was organic with the exceptions of the events I had planned, which is why it took me so long to get the 7th chapter written.

I have gone back and worked out a bit of characterization and some of the underlying reasoning and developmental triggers, and am so revising and fleshing out the story, but hopefully without altering the timeline too heavily. Please keep in mind that there are deeper reasons for the OOC behavior, which will round out and become clearer with time. Ginny will be sort of flat, as will Draco, and you will get the reasons for this in due time.

Please enjoy the reworked chapters as they are released, and please feel free to point out typographical errors and leave constructive feedback and questions. If you have a storyline suggestion or lots of in-depth criticism, please send me a private message and I will try to address your concerns.


	2. A New Understanding

Chapter 2 - A New Understanding

Ginny shook herself mentally. "Sure, I guess. Come on in, Malfoy." She backed away from the door, giving the pale Slytherin room to get inside. As she watched Malfoy put his trunk under the bench opposite hers, she wondered what she was doing. This was the boy who had tormented her for years, railed on about how the Weasleys were worthless and may as well _Mudbloods_, and whose father had personally tried to kill her. So why was she letting Draco Malfoy share her compartment? _I don't really want a conflict, and it's not like he barged in on me. He looks off, so maybe he'll leave me alone. I'll just curse him if he starts anything._ She returned to her seat, pulling a small book out of her rucksack as Malfoy lay down on his bench. She got back to her comfortable position and began reading.

She was distracted from her book when she felt his eyes on her.

"What?"

"Just wondering what you're reading."

She turned the cover of the paperback for him to see. The title read _Memnoch the Devil._ "It's a vampire book. Written by a Muggle American author, but it's really very good." Ginny looked over the book at him. "Very accurate, too."

"You have anything else?" he asked, and she raised an eyebrow at him. "I couldn't find anything interesting to read, and I really don't feel like starting in on a textbook."

"Here." Ginny handed the vampire novel out to him. "I've read it before." Malfoy took it and she dug another book, _Dragonsdawn_, out of the sack. She looked at him sideways and smirked: he'd been drawn into the book immediately. She opened the big hardcover book and began to read, but she found herself glancing over to look at her odd companion. She was astounded to hear real laughter escape him and even an actual smile cross his face. The effect on his features was astounding.

The train lurched as it started, and Ginny tumbled from her seat, but only her legs hit the floor. She felt an arm under her side and Malfoy's face appeared above hers, looking somewhat concerned. "You alright?"

She was thrown more by his apparent concern for her safety and his reflexes than by the lurching train. "Yeah, I think so." She smirked at him, amused by his concern and trying not to show the fact that, for some reason, her heart skipped a beat looking at his silvery eyes. "Forget who I am, Malfoy?" she quipped.

He shook his head, looking oddly serious, but smiled a bit at her tone. The lack of scorn in the expression was unusual, and Ginny couldn't help but notice that, without the smirk, he really was rather handsome. "No, Weasley, I haven't." Ginny looked at him with mock surprise. "But you haven't gotten to know me. Here, let me help you up."

Ginny felt awkward at the sincerity in his voice, and she fought down a blush at the intensity and climbed back into her seat. "Er, thanks, Malfoy."

"Call me Draco," he said with a grin.

"Okay, Draco." _Who is this and what has he done with Draco Malfoy?_ She resumed her book, feeling very self-conscious and confused.

_What are you doing, Malfoy? _Draco scolded himself mentally. He couldn't seem to get back involved with the characters on the pages of the book. _Slow down, get control of yourself. There's too much to deal with right now without getting on the wrong end of one of her Bat-Bogey Curses! _

He kept stealing quick glances at the little ginger across the compartment. She seemed a bit closed off, a little off-balance since he helped her up, though not angry or upset. He felt a little relief at that. Draco thought back on his plan for the year. He was going to redefine himself to the wizarding world. Draco would not be like his father any longer, nor bend to his will. The classist, purist mindset that he'd had beaten into him, rather literally at times, would no longer prejudice him. He was determined to make that true, and he had decided about a month ago that the best way to start that was to start with Ginny. He'd thought a lot about her this summer, mostly while bandaged up in a recovery room at St. Mungo's. Draco frowned at the memory. Lucius hadn't taken Draco's inability to kill as well as Voldemort had, because the Dark Lord was just pleased that Dumbledore was dead. The fact that his mother, Narcissa, had forced Professor Snape to swear to complete Draco's assignment if her son couldn't only ensured Lucius' wrath came down on both of their heads. Ginny was the focal point of Draco's resolve to reshape him and his image.

He stole another glance. She was twisting a strand of copper hair around her finger. _I just hope she'll give me a chance to prove myself._ The Weasley family may not have been rich, but they seemed generally willing to give people a chance. Draco hoped they would give him the opportunity to prove that he was not his father.

* * *

"Hey, Weasley?"

"Call me Ginny, Draco. If we're going to be on a first-name basis, I suppose it should go both ways. And what?"

"Do I need to leave so you can change into your robes?"

Ginny looked up from her book at him. Draco's face was sheepish. Again. She chuckled and nodded, somewhat amused at the out of place expression. "Yeah, but I won't be that long. Just a minute." Draco nodded, picked up the book, and stepped outside the door. Ginny spelled the door to be opaque and dug a set of robes and clothes from her trunk. She traded her white baby doll top and blue track pants for a tank top in Gryffindor colors with the House emblem and a pair of low-rise blue jeans. She pulled on the robe she had altered to fit her – it had been one of the twins' robes before – and found a hairbrush. She swept her hair up into a ponytail and tied it off. Ginny opened the door and tapped Draco on the shoulder, not realizing that he had company.

"_Ginny!_" Ron screamed, and Ginny jumped. He and Harry were standing outside the door and had been trying to start a fight, judging by the way Draco was clenching his jaw. "What are you doing with this scum?"

She looked sideways at the pale Slytherin nest to her and looked back to her brother, controlling her emotions. "Sharing the compartment with him and letting him read my book, if you must know," Ginny replied coolly. "Is there something wrong with that?" She stared Ron straight in the eye, daring him to start something.

Apparently, Harry didn't realize that the dare didn't apply to him. "He's a Slytherin and _Malfoy_, so yeah, I'd say there's something wrong with that!" Harry stepped up to her, a growl in his voice. _He's trying to back me down. He really thinks he controls me._

Ron just stared at her, slackjawed at his sister's matter-of-fact reply. He reached out and pulled Harry back, out of Ginny's face. "Gin, can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?" His voice shook slightly, his strength gone, replaced by confusion and caution.

She nodded and went with her brother, flashing Draco what she hoped was a polite smile. "I'll be just a minute," she said and followed Ron down the corridor.

* * *

_Come on, prat. Give me a reason._

Draco's jaw was starting to cramp from his irritation, and he waited for Harry to make up his mind. The agitated Gryffindor seemed torn between chasing after the Weasleys or turning back on Draco. Draco, for one, hoped that Potter chose the latter. He'd at least have an excuse to break his nose. Of course, if he tried to back Ginny down, that'd be just as good a reason. He caught himself feeling protective of her. He took a small breath, calming himself, trying to let his planning side take control of the situation. Provoking Potter would put him back in the position of antagonist and jeopardize the tentative peace between him and Ginny, but walking away would give him a chance to go after Ginny, which would risk her getting hurt but possibly prove that he was on her side. _But I don't know the whole story with Potter's weirdness, and there is that bizarre Gryffindor loyalty. They fight over the slightest things but let people get away with utter betrayal. I have no idea what's going on. _

He decided to keep an eye on Potter but disengage slightly. He rounded the corner of the door, sitting on the bench where he could keep an eye on Potter.

Harry sneered at him. "Backing down, Malfoy?"

"Hardly, scarhead" Draco returned, smirking back. He slipped easily into the arrogant tone of voice he often used with the infuriating boy. "You're just not worth the energy to stand." _Can't let my guard down with him. Something's off about him, and I don't know what._ He heard Ron's and Ginny's voices down the hall.

* * *

**A/N 6 October 2011:** Here's the revision of Chapter 2! I'm trying to bring Draco in and give a bit of backstory as to his changed personality.

Everyone's noticing Harry's weird behavior, and I promise there's something behind it, it's not just "let's make Harry the bad guy just so Draco can be the hero for once." The question of why might go unanswered for a little while, but the answers will come in time.

**A/N 8 June 2012: **Re-post of the final edits on Chapter 2.


	3. Brotherly Confusion and Acceptance

Chapter 3 – Brotherly Confusion and Acceptance

Ron was silent for a moment, looking at his baby sister in confusion. Harry had stayed back, glaring at the compartment, but staying in the walkway to watch Ginny. Ron sighed inwardly, unsure what to do about his best friend's new behavior, but that wasn't what he was here for.

"Gin… Why?"

Ginny shrugged, appearing carefully neutral. Ron could tell that she was somewhat uncomfortable and confused by herself, much less Ron's question. "I don't know. Something in me just didn't get mad or anything when he knocked on the compartment door. He said that everywhere else was full and asked to sit with me. I let him." She ground her toe into the floor slightly, another giveaway of her discomfort. "He's not as bad as you think."

Ron's mouth hung agape at that. "What do you _mean_, 'not as bad as you think'? Ginny, it's _Malfoy!_ His dad tried to kill you! He's tormented us for as long as we've known him, and don't you remember Dad fighting with Lucius at Flourish and Blotts? The Malfoys are evil!"

Ginny shook her head slowly, and Ron noted her apparent surprise at her own actions. "No, Ron. Listen to yourself – most of the wrongs done were by Lucius, not Draco, Malfoy. Yeah, Draco was constantly singing his father's praises, but do we really know anything about him personally?" She looked up at him, and Ron stared, uncomprehending, at his baby sister. She looked tired, confused, and most surprising, a little hopeful. That twisted his heart, and even as much as Malfoy got on his nerves, he knew that Ginny was more perceptive that he ever had been, and he couldn't help but listen to her. "Ron, when the train started, I fell off the bench in the compartment because I'd been lying down. He caught me. He had a split second to notice and react, but he caught me. And what's more, he helped me back up to my seat and told me to use his first name." Ron was dumbstruck, both at what she said and at the slight blush that spread across her face. She seemed to shake herself mentally and looked him square in the eye, her usual fiery strength back in her eyes. "He may be a Malfoy, but he's human. I can't help but think that something's changed. I think we should give him another chance."

Ron stared at her. _What is with her? She's not usually one to just forgive… More likely to get a curse in the face than another chance from Ginny, so what's going on?_ He glanced back to where they'd left. Malfoy had returned to the compartment, and Harry was watching Ron, indignance and anger on his face. Ron sighed and returned his gaze to his sister.

"There're two Head Boys this year, you know." Ginny's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Both Harry and Malfoy. I think the Headmaster's nutters, but maybe there's a method to his madness." Ron glanced sideways at Harry before leading Ginny farther down the hallway.

"Harry confronted him on the platform," Ron told her quietly. "Started trying to rile him up, get him to duel. Well, Harry found the switch. Called Malfoy a Death Eater." Ron stopped her and looked her in the eyes soberly. "Malfoy threw and held him to a brick wall with his wand until he reached Harry, then held him up with one hand and pointed his wand at Harry's head. Told him – and I quote – 'If you _ever_ call me that again, I will kill you.' Said it in the softest, deadliest, most serious voice I've ever heard from him. He sounded like you when you knocked Harry to the ground earlier." Now Ginny looked surprised. "Gin," he continued softly, "I think the Head Boy position has gone to Harry's head, plus the stress about You-Know-Who. Now, I'm not saying it gives him rights to be an arse or to molest you, but I'd stay as far out of his notice if you can. But…" He paused, thinking, and looked at Ginny gently. A note of defeat colored his tone. "If you think that Malfoy's alright, after what I saw and what you said, I won't hold you away from him. Better him than Harry," he finished bitterly. His voice softened again. "Just be careful. He's still a Slytherin, and his crowd might try something against you, and he could be up to something. Probably not, but you never know."

Ginny hugged him and walked back toward the compartment, brushing past Harry, through the door. Ron followed and grabbed Harry's arm. "Leave it, mate," Ron said as Harry tried to object, "we've got somewhere to be."

* * *

Ginny slid the door of the compartment shut, her conversation with Ron still running through her head. Draco looked up at her with a smirk.

"Still in one piece?"

Ginny laughed. "Yeah, Ron wouldn't mess with me. He knows I'd tear him to pieces first." She smiled, hoping to hide the confusion she still felt from talking with Ron.

Draco chuckled softly. "No doubt."

Ginny sat and bit her lip, the curiosity burning too hot inside her not to ask. "What happened on the platform?"

Draco snorted derisively, a shadow of his familiar aloof demeanor crossing his face for a second. "That's not what you want to know." He looked at her knowingly. "You want to know why I reacted so badly when Potter called me a Death Eater, especially after the invasion of the school last year." Ginny nodded. Draco's reply was cold and sardonic in tone, but she could tell he was serious. "I left that "service" after Dumbledore was killed." He looked at her, and she was surprised to see a hint of weakness in his eyes. "I was supposed to be the one who killed him. But I couldn't. As much as I'd been brought up to hate him, I couldn't kill him." His features filled with a cold contemplation and he looked away. "I think I hated my father enough that it made me refuse to do anything that would make him happy. Well, that, and the fact that I don't like the idea of blood on my hands. Killing someone isn't as easy as the Death Eaters make it seem," he said, glancing at her sideways.

Ginny was confused. He hated his father? _But what about all the times he's used his father as a threat?_ Draco saw the confusion on her face.

"Father had a watch on me at all times. If not himself, one of his cronies was watching me. He's paranoid as all hell. I was to give no impression of what he'd done at home." Draco's voice was cold again. "There was no pain that the Dark Lord could have inflicted upon me that my father had not used before. He'd beat me, curse me, and whip me – with a whip, mind you. Nearly laid my back open quite a few times." He shook his head, and he wouldn't look at her. "He'd hurt me in every way possible, and it always healed without a mark. That way, if I ever decided to report him, I'd have no chance." The pain showed in his eyes.

Ginny's eyes were wide with disbelief and darkened, burning with a renewed hatred for Lucius Malfoy. She couldn't conceive of a father who could beat his child like that. Yes, her own father had spanked her when she'd misbehave, but that was to correct her. The things Draco was describing seemed out of pure malice. And then her face dropped back into pure disbelief. _Wait. He said "every way possible." Does he mean…?_ Ginny looked at him, uncomprehending the pain growing in her chest at the thought. "Draco…?" she choked out. He looked at her, and the pain and shame rose on his face. "He raped you, didn't he?" Ginny tried to keep her voice gentle and supportive, but just the thought of the pain and violation he must have felt brought tears to her eyes and rage rose in her.

He nodded gravely and closed his eyes, turning away from her. She thought she heard a small whimper escape him. Ginny gasped slightly. She just wanted to kneel next to his seat and hold him as if he were a child. She held herself back, unsure of how he would react, instead placing a hand on his shoulder. Draco, to her surprise, placed his hand on top of hers, almost as though he was trying to keep that moment of plain sympathy, no strings attached. His hand was trembling. It seemed that he'd never been shown that kindness. After what he'd just told her, she wouldn't be surprised. She climbed off her seat and knelt next to him.

"I'm sorry…" Ginny spoke in a pained whisper. "I- I wish I could do more." _Why is he telling me this? Why is he telling _me_ this?_

Draco shook his head. "No. You've done more than anyone else has ever bothered to do. I've never told anyone everything that Lucius did to me. You're the first." His eyes remained closed the whole time, but his voice seemed slightly confused and shocked, like he hadn't meant to give so much away. Ginny blushed a little, uneasy with this information. Draco released her hand, curling in on himself slightly. Ginny did the only thing she could think to do: she stroked his hair. His loosely hanging blond mane lay haphazardly on the seat. As her hand ran over the pale strands, Draco relaxed visibly. A small smile played across her lips. _Well, at least I can do something to calm him_.

* * *

In the Prefects' compartment, Harry sat, looking very smug, next to Ron and Hermione. 'Mione was Head Girl. Harry was oblivious to the fact that he was sharing the Head Boy title with his biggest rival, and Ron and Hermione weren't eager to bring it to his attention.

Hermione rose from her seat at the front of the compartment and turned, counting heads. She noticed immediately that the other Head Boy was absent. She tapped Ron on the shoulder. He looked up.

"Where's Malfoy?" she mouthed to him.

"Ginny. I'll get him," Ron mouthed back. Hermione nodded and he walked out of the compartment.

Hermione rapped on the window at the front. Everyone immediately quieted.

"On behalf of our new Headmaster and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I bid welcome to all our new Prefects and to those returning, welcome back. I am Hermione Granger, your Head Girl this year.

"Usually, I would now introduce your Head Boy, but this year, there is a unique circumstance…"

* * *

The compartment door slid open smoothly, revealing Ginny on her knees, stroking the hair of an apparently sleeping Malfoy. Ron smirked. For once, it seemed, Ginny had believed him. His sister looked up, and Malfoy's eyes cracked open. Not asleep, then.

"Sorry to interrupt what I'm sure was wonderfully relaxing, Malfoy, but you're needed in the Prefects' compartment," Ron said with a smirk. Malfoy didn't look like he believed the "sorry" part, but rose to join him at the door.

Malfoy turned to Ginny. "I should be back in a little while. Though I would suggest getting off the floor," he said gently, offering the redhead his hand. Ginny took it and stood, seeming a little surprised. _I have to admit, I wasn't sure about what Ginny had said, but if this is how he's gonna treat her, I could learn to like him,_ Ron thought. His eyes widened a bit in surprise when Malfoy lifted Ginny's hand to his lips and kissed it. Ginny blushed brightly. Ron had never seen Malfoy act like this.

Ron led Malfoy out of the compartment and closed the door. He spun and pinned the Slytherin to the wall. He growled at the pale blond, noting the surprise on Malfoy's face. "What are you up to, Malfoy? What do you want with my sister?"

Ron was surprised when Malfoy's voice was calm and sincere, and at the truth that echoed in his gray eyes. "I am looking to redeem myself. To reinvent myself. To live for myself and to satisfy my desires and those of others. Your sister is one of those things I greatly desire, but I want to earn her. I can't do that if I keep going the way I was." A slight blush was growing on his face, but he never dropped Ron's gaze. "I was an arse, not just to her, but to all of you. I know that a simple apology will do me no good. I hope that, this way, I can show you that I am not that person anymore. I am not a Death Eater. I am not my father."

Ron blinked at him, taken completely aback. He focused again, and the growl worked its way back into his voice. "You're right, an apology won't help you. But I've seen the way you treated Ginny, and I'll admit that I like what I see. Ginny asked me to give you another chance, and I will, for her sake, but if you hurt her in any way, I'll kill you. Understand?"

Draco nodded soberly. "Understood, Weasley. In fact, I'd expect nothing less." He broke Ron's hold and continued down the corridor.

* * *

**A/N 8 June 2012: **Final edits for Chapter 3.

**A/N 10 June 2012: **I think I need to stop using the word "final." ::smirk:: Some slight development changes. See? I read the reviews. ^.=.^ I appreciate the feedback, so keep it up. I love to hear from my readers about development issues and such. Sometimes I miss things like that what with the fact I know what I want to happen.


	4. First Blood

Chapter 4 – First Blood

Draco glided into the Prefects' compartment with Ron trailing behind him, still staring as though blindsided. Hermione nodded in acknowledgement from her place at the front and continued.

"Our new Headmaster has brought a somewhat unorthodox tone to his first year at Hogwarts. He has appointed _two_ Head Boys." There was a gasp and a rush of chatter in the compartment, which Hermione quickly silenced. Draco and Harry looked stunned. "I have the honor of introducing this odd pair to your tonight: Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy."

"WHAT!" Harry cried in outrage. "That's RIDICULOUS!"

Draco rose slowly. "For once," he said quietly, "I believe Potter and I are in agreement. How that temper of his merits the rank of Head Boy escapes me, especially since he wasn't even a Prefect." He smirked haughtily at the Gryffindor.

Harry lunged at the blond, but Ron caught his arm and held him back. "I deserve it more than _you_, Malfoy!" He broke Ron's hold and rounded on Hermione. "He can't do this to me! What kind of idiot does this new headmaster have to be to pair me up at all with this slimy, backstabbing Slytherin! _I_ deserve this! _I_ warned everyone about Voldemort, _I've_ fought him over and over, and _I've_ protected everyone! I've lost every bit of family I've ever had over him! I'm the _fucking Boy Who Lived_! I deserve to be Head Boy! What kind of evil, Voldemort-supporting bastard does he have to be to make that Death Eating scum Head Boy!"

Harry couldn't blink before Draco had him pinned to the wall again. His voice was calm and even, but there was a deadly edge to his voice. "What did I tell you about that name, Potter? Do you want to die, even before we get to the school? I'd really rather not have to kill you. You may be the Boy Who Lived, but the only one that's got trouble killing you is Voldemort, and _I am not him._"

Harry snarled at him. "_You're_ the whole reason the school was invaded last year! And you couldn't kill me. You're too weak! _You_ were supposed to be the one to kill Dumbledore and you couldn't. Snape had to come in and do your dirty work! I saw you!"

Dumbledore never did anything against me. Even though I was raised to hate him, he was an innocent in my eyes." Draco kept his voice low and calm. "And yes, I repaired the Vanishing Cabinet. I was the lynchpin. But if you were there when Dumbledore died, you know that he knew why I was there and what I was doing. He knew it had to happen. Dumbledore could see past his crooked nose to what sacrifices had to be made for the most good to be achieved. You, on the other hand, are so short-sighted and selfish that I'm surprised you can see past your glasses." Draco released Harry and turned around to look at Hermione.

As the blond began to speak, Harry cocked his hand back to knock Draco out, but Ron reached out and grabbed his wrist with a clap. Draco's words cut short and he turned. Ron hissed a warning to Harry. "Calm down, mate. You're ruining your reputation."

Draco nodded to the Weasley and turned back to Hermione. "I do, however, agree with the sentiment about the headmaster's sanity. Do you know who our new administrator is?" Hermione shook her head.

"I think it's supposed to be a surprise, or maybe a security measure. I think even the new student letters were signed by McGonagall."

"I could see that. Well, I hope we get an explanation for this madness at the feast. Otherwise, I'm going to have some sharp words for him." He turned back to Ron. "I believe I promised your sister that I'd return."

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM GINNY!" Harry looked wild again. His rage had knocked his glasses askew and his unruly hair had fallen into his wide eyes. "You spoiled, self-important, entitled _git_, I won't let you take what's mine! Not the Head Boy spot, not Ginny -!"

Ron knocked Harry cold with a rabbit punch. His face was red and he bared his teeth. "My baby sister is no one's property," he growled. "Go on, Malfoy. At least you treat her like a person." Draco nodded to him and, with a disapproving look at Harry's unconscious form crumpled on the floor, turned and walked to the door.

The room was silent for a moment, but a rush of conversation came with the slamming compartment door. Hermione and Ron struggled with Harry's deadweight to move him to a bench. Eventually, the noise overwhelmed even her.

"_QUIET!_" she shrieked. The crowd fell silent. "Look, I know this is crazy, but we're all just going to have to deal with is and do our jobs. You have briefings to do. _Prefects dismissed!"_

* * *

Ginny smirked as Draco opened the door to her compartment. "How'd everything go?"

"Violently." Draco shook his head. "Did you know there's two Head Boys this year?"

She nodded. "Ron told me when we were talking earlier. I had wondered why Hermione was so stressed out after the letters came this summer. Congratulations, by the way."

Draco snorted. "Thanks. If Potter's been that way all summer, I'd bet she was tense. He actually dove for me, more than once. Your brother knocked him out by the end of it. I was impressed."

Ginny blinked. "Ron hit him? Harry must have really screwed up." She shook her head. "Sadly, I'm not really surprised. Harry's been almost psychotic lately. He tried to molest me earlier today – I had to kick him in the groin to get him to stop." She saw his expression darken. "I can take care of myself, Draco." She heard her voice turn defensive and cut that short. "He can't hurt me."

"I don't care," Draco growled quietly. "Potter should know better. Regardless of what my father thinks, money doesn't make respectability. You're more of a lady than most, and you deserve to be treated with the respect and deference due one." Her eyes widened in surprise and she blushed just a bit. He turned and looked her in the eye – she was shocked to see a protective edge in his strikingly gray eyes. "Do you know what Potter said that Ron knocked him out?" Ginny shook her head. "He told me to stay away from you. Told me that you were his and that he wouldn't let me take what belonged to him." She bristled a bit, but was too stunned by his intensity to get angry. "Your brother cold-cocked him for that, said that you were no one's property, and then told me to go on and come back here because I, at least, treat you like a person." He flashed one of his crooked, real smiles. "I think he's getting to like me."

That broke her and she threw her head back, laughing. "_Gods_, I hope so!" When she opened her eyes again, wiping away the tears of laughter, Draco was beaming. It was just so out of place, she couldn't help but break into giggles again.

"What's so funny?" he asked, his grin still on his face.

"Your _face!_" she gasped out, and collapsed into giggles again.

Draco's smile faltered for a moment, and he cocked his head to the side, a confused frown working into his brow. Ginny gasped another breath. "You just look so _happy!_"

Draco laughed, loud and clear. Ginny was surprised at how musical this laugh was, pure and uninhibited. Even the laughs that had escaped him earlier paled in comparison. It was infectious, and she curled up, collapsing into her laughter. "Happy?" he asked, still chuckling. "Why shouldn't I be happy, Ginny? You're actually talking to me." She looked up and his gaze was clear and sincere. "This amazing girl who hadn't ever given me anything but glares – even though I definitely deserved them – is sitting here laughing at one of my jokes! Her brother knocked out his best friend in her and my defense and then _told me to go back to her!_ Of course I'm happy." He smiled warmly at her, and she blushed, surprised. He chuckled and said, "Besides, I just got to see Harry Potter laid out by his best friend. How often does _that_ happen?"

Ginny laughed, but she was still preoccupied by what he'd said. Draco noticed her distraction. "Hey, sorry if that was too close to home. I'm sure those two will work things out. They always do, even if Potter _has_ gone 'round the twist."

She shook her head. "No, that's not it." The question wrote itself across his face. "It's not that they're fighting – that happens occasionally, and I'm glad Ron's finally growing a backbone – it's just that…" She looked at him a bit nervously. "No one's ever really talked about me that way."

Draco looked puzzled for a moment, and then the understanding dawned on his face. "Really? No one's ever thought to tell you how amazing you are?" She shook her head, refusing to meet his eyes.

"I guess in a family of 9, even the baby gets overlooked."

"I suppose," he said. "I doubt I could ever understand how chaotic things must be." His eyes softened a bit, and he reached out, brushing her bangs from her face. She looked up, suppressing the startled feeling fluttering in her chest, carefully composing her expression. "But I do know what it feels like to be ignored. I'm sorry, Ginny, if I'm being too direct. I just hate to see someone as strong and – "

"And what, Draco?" Ginny asked, carefully keeping her voice from shaking.

"Someone as strong and beautiful as you so badly treated." His voice was quiet and sincere, and she could hear the emotion behind it.

Ginny was dumbstruck, and her vision became blurry as her eyes filled with tears. She turned her head away from him, shaking her bangs back down across her face to hide her shock and embarrassment. She blinked her eyes fast to suppress the tears. "I am so _very_ sorry, Ginny." Draco's voice was soft and constricted, and she heard a slight crack, as though he were also quelling tears. "I'll leave you to your book." He retreated to his bench and, when she looked, he was curled around the paperback, carefully avoiding her. Ginny turned toward the wall and laid down, staring at the upholstery in confusion and embarrassment.

They stayed that way for the rest of the trip.

* * *

Draco helped Ginny to the ground from the train, but quickly disappeared. Ginny chased after her brother.

"Ron!" The older boy stopped and turned to see Ginny waving to him. "Ron, wait up!"

"What's the matter?" Ron was puzzled, but his voice quickly gained an edge. "Did Malfoy do something to you? I _knew_ I shouldn't ha-" Ginny cut him off.

"No, Ron. Nothing happened." She looked at him with a deprecating stare. "You worry too much. I just lost him in the crowd getting off the train. I guess he went to join his Housemates or something." She pulled her hair up into her customary ponytail, smoothing the flyaway strands back into place, and brushing the brusqueness away with it. With a smirk, she looked at Ron with a bit of the same mischief the Twins always had. "Draco told me what happened in the Prefects' meeting. Did you really clock Harry in the head?"

"Yeah, and since when is it _Draco_?"

"Since he told me to call him that, now quit changing the subject." She brushed off Ron's concern like it was lint on her robes. "What did he do?"

"Made an arse out of himself, as usual," Ron growled, obviously frustrated. "I don't wanna talk about it; let's just get to the carriages."

They sped up, walking quickly to the carriage that Hermione and Luna were holding for them. Ron kept glancing at his sister quizzically. There was definitely something off with her, but Ron couldn't place the change. He shook himself inwardly, resolving to keep an eye to her.

* * *

Draco's lip curled as he walked into the Great Hall. Baines Selwyn sat at the Headmaster's spot at the High Table, speaking haughtily to a frazzled-looking McGonagall. _How did _that_ fucker get the Headmaster's job?_

"Draco? What's wrong?" It was Blaise Zabini, looking at Draco, his pale brown face and dark eyes wearing a look of confusion. Draco nodded to the Table, and Blaise's expression darkened as he followed the gesture. "What's _he_ doing here?"

"Appears to be the new Headmaster," Draco replied darkly. His memories of Selwyn were replaying in his mind. He had been a Death Eater from the first, and was one of Voldemort's many Auror plants in the Ministry. More importantly to Draco, Selwyn had joined in Lucius' torture since he was a child. "I'd bet he's the reason I'm sharing the Head Boy title with Potter."

Surprise registered on Blaise's face, but he nodded. "Makes sense. They figure they can use you to keep an eye on Potter, and Selwyn can keep an eye on you." Draco nodded his agreement, but his mouth went dry at the thought. To anyone else, the shock wouldn't have registered, but Blaise knew Draco better than anyone else. He saw Draco's face lose its color and his eyes dilate. "Hey," Blaise put his hand gently on Draco's elbow, a subtle reassurance. "He's too visible now. He can't do anything to you."

Draco shook himself. "You're right, and I've got the advantage. They don't know that I'm not loyal anymore. They think it's a cover."

The two Slytherin boys found their seats toward the head of the table. Draco expected an introduction and an explanation of sorts for the odd situation. _And then,_ he thought, _I'll get the _real_ story. _

As the Great Hall filled, Draco let his eyes wander. He saw Potter walk into the Hall, surly as ever, with Granger running interference. The two Weasleys trailed behind them. He smiled a bit as he watched Ginny pull her hair down and shake it out. The copper highlights shone in the candlelight as the sheet of hair fell to her waist.

She really was beautiful, he thought. A redheaded angel fallen from his personal Heaven. Draco laughed at himself for that comparison; so cliché. He couldn't believe how awesome it had felt to hear her laugh and see her face light up, and how much it had hurt to have her flinch from him. His smile faltered then, and he noticed her brusque manner and wondered what had happened.

What he didn't see was Blaise watching him.

"Greetings, Hogwarts students!" Draco's attention snapped towards the front. Selwyn was standing at the Head Table, a proud smile on his face, but Draco recognized the arrogance in it. "Welcome to a new year. My name is Baines Selwyn and I will be your Headmaster this year. As some of you know, I am an Auror for the Ministry of Magic. Given the Dark Lord's bold return last summer and the blatant targeting of Hogwarts School, I have been assigned to help ensure the safety of this student body. I know that many of you are concerned that the Ministry will interfere in the operation and routine of the school." A dark murmur swept quietly through the Hall; no one could forget about Umbridge's mad reign. Draco caught a few dirty looks that flew his way, but ignored them. "I assure you that I will try to make as little impact on the routine as possible." This received a few cheers and a bit of applause from the students. Draco was suspicious.

"Speaking of impacts on the school routine, I suppose it's time to introduce your new staff member! Some of you will remember that Professor Slughorn had taken over the position of Potions Master. Well, he declined to return this year, so I am returning it to the Slytherins' Head of House, Severus Snape." A cheer rose from the green and silver table, and even Draco joined in. Snape stood and waved to the Slytherins, and even had a hint of a smile on his face. He sat, and the group refocused.

"Now, the perennial problem here at Hogwarts: who will teach Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Everyone laughed. "Minister Rufus Scrimgeour wants us to take a practical approach to defense –" Draco heard a slight tension –_irritation?_ "- so we've screened several candidates based on real world experience and versatility. I feel that our new staff member will be very effective in imparting his knowledge and experience as well as relate to his students. Please welcome our new professor, Bill Weasley!"

Draco was dumbfounded as a tall man with a long, ginger ponytail, an attractive but scarred face, a fang earring, and a broad grin strode across the dais and the Gryffindor table exploded into cheers. He sought out Ginny and saw her practically scrambling over the bench and streaking up the aisle to the man who must have been her brother. Bill Weasley caught his slight sister in a bear hug, and Draco couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. Ginny was giggling and flushed, a full smile flung across her face. _I wonder if he'll ever accept me?_

Draco blinked as he realized the thought that had just crossed his mind. He didn't have time to contemplate it, though, because the noise was dying down and Baines Selwyn was gesturing the Head students up to the front. He stood, carefully eyeing Potter. Granger seemed to have control of the situation, so he got up and strode quickly to the dais. He caught Ginny's eye on her way back to her spot at Gryffindor table. She flashed him an encouraging smile, and he felt his tension lift.

"One last thing before we begin the Sorting," Selwyn called over the remaining chatter. "We have a unique circumstance this year with our Head students.

"Tradition says that a Head Boy and a Head Girl should be selected from the seventh-year Prefects and they should be stellar examples for the student body. The position is one of honor and responsibility.

I have determined, however, that there is a special circumstance and an individual that needs to be recognized and honored, which the staff and I have chosen to honor in this fashion. So the introductions are as follows: Your Head Girl this year, our best and brightest student and a shining representative of her House, Hermione Granger!" She strode across the stage to a chorus of cheers, especially from Gryffindor. She met Selwyn at center stage, shook his hand, and then stood back.

"Your Head Boy is where the peculiarity comes in. This year, there is not one, but _two_ boys receiving this honor. The first, another brilliant student and a strong, cunning, ambitious leader, is Draco Malfoy!" Draco crossed the stage to a noticeably quieter response, but the cheers coming from his House made up for the lack of support. He shook Selwyn's hand, looking the man pointedly in the eyes, allowing a coolness to take over him. Selwyn's cozy smirk chilled Draco to the bone, but he guarded his expression. He broke the handshake and joined Granger by the table. She nodded at him tensely. They both knew this could be bad.

"The second is our special case. He has endured much over the course of his life, and has been ignored and scoffed at for his troubles over the last six years. He has seen death, known pain, and lost everyone that we all take for granted. If we had listened to him, many of us and our loved ones would still be alive." The Hall was silent. Draco glanced at Potter and grimaced inwardly at the smug look on his face. _God, is that what I look like? No wonder no one cheered for me._ "Introducing your other Head Boy, Harry Potter!"

Harry's cocky look transformed so quickly into his usual easy smile that Draco blinked to make sure wasn't seeing things. Harry Potter shook Selwyn's hand, turned, and shot Draco a withering glare before he took his place on Hermione's other side.

Nope. He hadn't missed anything. He just didn't know what was wrong with this boy.

"Please return to your seats, Heads, and let the Sorting begin!"

* * *

The welcome feast went smoothly after that and, aside from the few Slytherins that came up to congratulate him and his greetings to excited first years, Draco was able to relax. His eyes kept drifting to the long sheet of ginger hair at the Gryffindor table. He blushed when Blaise had to snap him back into focus.

When everything let out, Draco excused himself from Blaise and made to catch up with Ginny near the doorway. "Miss Weasley!" She turned her head, slightly surprised. "Ginny, wait!" She stopped, nodding her head in dismissal to her Housemate. Draco wove through the crowd to her. "May I talk with you, please?"

"No, you may not, you bloody Snake," a growling voice spat. Potter.

Draco raised a pale eyebrow, drawing his calm, superior air back around him. "Oh, and I suppose Miss Weasley is under your control, Potter?" The sarcasm practically dripped from his lips.

Harry didn't catch it, and wrapped a possessive arm around Ginny's waist. She bridled at his touch and tone, and her hazel eyes flashed with rage. "Yeah, Malfoy," he spoke Draco's name like an insult, "she's mine -!" Potter's words were cut short when Ginny slammed her elbow into his solar plexus and whirled out of his grasp. Her copper hair flung wildly and she bridled, the air crackling with her power.

"YOURS?" she cried. "HARRY JAMES POTTER! How _dare_ you even _think_ you can possess me!" The Great Hall and the corridor fell silent at her outburst, and all foot traffic stopped as the whole student body turned to see what happened. Draco peripherally noticed Bill Weasley, McGonagall, and Snape working their way through the crowd. "I belong to _no one_, and NEVER to you!" Ginny whipped out her wand and leveled it at Harry's chest.

Draco slowly drew his own wand and advanced, walking up to join Ginny. Her sudden transformation from a ginger-haired young witch to this fiery, vengeful goddess was shocking, and he felt a trickle of fear of her wrath. It was quickly joined by an icy hatred for Potter, who had provoked this rage, and he leveled a sharp stare and his wand at the offender.

Harry snarled, and Ginny tossed her hair in a defiant challenge. Potter's voice rang through the Hall, an unbalanced madness coloring the scream of possessive rage. "You _BITCH_! You filthy, turncoat, Snake-loving _whore!_" She bared her teeth at that, and Draco registered the eldest Weasley's snarl. He was too far away. Potter would strike before they could get through. "How dare _you betray ME? _Refusing _me_ is tantamount to abandoning _your House! _You disloyal _slut_, I'll teach you!" He lunged for her. The two wands flashed and Harry crumpled to the ground with a bloodcurdling shriek.

When their eyes cleared, Harry Potter was a whimpering, snarling mass on the floor, a trail of blood running down his face. Draco walked up to him, his anger cold, and his frozen dagger stare pinned Potter to the floor. "I think," Draco said, his tone frozen and sharp, but loud enough to carry through the ringing silence, "that you need to rethink your definition of loyalty. Your Housemates don't seem to agree." He gestured to the furious faces of the crimson-clad students. "You, Potter, have a lot to learn about loyalty, as well as respect. I'm sure your mother would have been appalled to see her son act this way. Obviously, those Muggles who raised you have no concept of proper behavior.

"You will treat Miss Weasley with the respect and deference deserved a woman of her caliber. I doubt that any threat from me is necessary – she is a fearsome power in and of herself – " he flashed her a smile, and the wry, proud grin of a Fury answered him, "but don't take that to mean that _I'll_ allow it to continue, either. Besides," Draco quipped as he knelt down to Potter's level, "I believe the battle is over, and Ginny and I have won." He reached out and touched the stream of blood, then showed Potter his rust-streaked fingertips. "First blood."

Ginny snarled, but allowed Draco to lead her towards her brothers. As they turned their backs to Harry, they exchanged a tense look. They knew they shared the same feeling that, while they had won this battle, Potter was about to start a war.

* * *

**A/N 8 June 2012: **Final edits for Chapter 4.

**A/N 10 June 2012: **Edited phrasing.

Tell me if these editing notes get annoying. I don't know if sends you updates when I edit, but I figured it helps in case I change things.

**A/N 22 June 2012: **Edited description of Blaise Zabini to more closely match canon.

Okay, I know you guys have to be getting irritated with my changing things, but going back through to keep my new writing consistent, I'm noticing little errors that didn't get corrected. And then some not-so-little errors. I completely forgot a rather important scene at the end of the next chapter. It leaves a bit of a continuity hole in the story, so I'm working to correct that. Keep your eye out for the updates and please read the new scene!


	5. Filth in the Beauty

**A/N 22 June 2012: **Repost with a MAJOR EDIT. If you didn't read the last post of First Blood, I somehow managed to leave out some important scenes in this chapter. Don't worry too much, they're very near the end. Pretty much right after where this chapter left off the first time. Those of you who read before the edits will remember the scene with some slight differences. I'm happier with this version of the scene with Blaise.

Chapter 5 – Filth in the Beauty

Ginny pussyfooted her way around Gryffindor House for the next few days. Classes hadn't started yet since all the madness over the summer had derailed the usual preparations, so no one had anything to do but discuss her showdown with Harry in the Hall. The House seemed to be split between Ginny's refusal to be controlled and loyalty to Harry. The girls all seemed fully on her side, and even Ron and Hermione stood publicly against Harry in the common room. McGonagall had to be called in to stop the near-riot that ensued.

Ginny sighed in the darkness of her room. She was sitting there on her bed with the hangings drawn. Her roommates were gone, and it seemed to be the only way to get any peace. Her mind was racing already, and she didn't need the chatter. Even though she knew she was right, she was already tired of this war and of Harry's sudden possessiveness. Sure, she'd been his girlfriend last year, but he'd been the one to break it off! And it wasn't like he'd broken her heart. It had been a very casual thing for her, dating.

She fiddled with the edge of her blanket and remembered the little smiles Draco had given her in the corridors, always a little harried, but the smiles were just for her. A little thrill ran through her stomach when she saw them, just like now. Ginny knew that, whatever this was, it would be far from casual. She blushed at the thought. She felt brilliantly rebellious, being so close to a Slytherin and a _Malfoy_ no less! Unfortunately, these smiles were the only contact she could get with him since the fight. She wanted to talk to him but couldn't get the chance.

Footsteps fell in the room, too heavy for any of her roommates. Ginny stiffened, her heart pounding. Her thoughts turned to the secret door in the wall behind her hangings. She quietly moved the heavy fabric aside and opened the door. It swung on silent hinges to reveal the small compartment just large enough to hold her. She climbed inside and shut the door. Moments later, she heard the rough _sshhink!_ of the metal curtain rings scraping across the rod. A muffled snarl came through the door. "_She was supposed to be here!_" Ginny shuddered silently; it was Harry! _How did he get in here?_ A chill ran down her spine at the thought of what Harry may have planned to do. She heard him storm out of the room and waited till the footfalls faded. Ginny climbed out of her hiding place, ran a brush through her now-tangled ginger ponytail, and scurried down the stairs. Cautiously, she peeked around the corner, scanning the common room for Harry, but he wasn't there. She sighed in relief and half-ran to the door.

Ginny walked quickly, taking side corridors to the library, the only place labyrinthine enough to make her hard to find. She made for her favorite section – Witchcraft and Religion – and hid in one of the darker aisles. Her ears were met with more footsteps, but these were lighter, more languid and relaxed. The person was on the next aisle – she could see the flicker of a lantern on the back wall – with the pace of one looking for a book. She peeked carefully around to the other side of the shelf to see… _Draco!_

"Hey!" she stage-whispered, her tone bright, relieved to see him. He turned at the sound of her voice and smiled.

"Hey, Ginny! You've gotten away! Your Housemates driven you mad yet?" He was joking, but seemed to pick up on the relief in her face.

Ginny shook her head, exasperated. "You don't know the half of it. McGonagall had to come stop a fight after we knocked Harry out. Even Hermione was almost violent!" Draco looked a little shocked, but chuckled at the thought of Hermione Granger being violent. "Honestly, I think the only reason I'm not excommunicate for taking sides with a Slytherin is because everyone is so against Harry's behavior. I think they're torn between House and Potter loyalty and general disgust and confusion over Harry." Ginny dropped her eyes and shook her head.

"But there's a reason I saw you run in here, wasn't there?" He caught her by surprise with his knowing tone. "That was days ago, and you looked panicked, like you were looking for a place to hide." His molten silver eyes burned with sympathy in the candlelight. "I've run that way myself."

Ginny broke eye contact, unable to form a sentence looking at his eyes, the way they smoldered. The gaze was too intense. "Yeah…" Her voice was weak and touched with the fear she'd felt since the standoff. "Harry managed to sneak into the girls' dorms while I was sitting on my bed. Apparently, someone told him I was up there. I hid in this storage cabinet they hide behind our beds in the wall so he didn't find me, but I know he'd have done something horrible if he had. He scares me sometimes…" Her voice dropped almost to a whisper. She saw Draco's face darken, and spoke up again. "But I can take care of myself, Draco, don't worry about that." He didn't seem appeased, or even fazed.

"You know, Ginny," Draco began slowly, but his voice was strong and sincere, "I meant what I said about the way Potter treats you. I told him to treat you like the lady you are, or I would have something to say about it." Draco lifted her chin and looked her squarely in the eyes. Her heart raced. "And I _will_ have something to say about it."

Ginny felt heat flood her cheeks and her jaw tighten. She realized she was blushing, but she bridled a bit at Draco's protective tone, so like her brothers'. She turned her head and Draco released her. She went to scanning the shelves. "Didn't figure you for a 'Witchcraft and Religion' girl." His voice was gentler now, and apologetic. He seemed to realize he'd crossed a line.

"Yeah…" She picked up a book and opened it, flipping the pages slowly. "My family's been really close forever, and always had a strong moral sense, but we've never really had a faith. Too many religions have a problem with magic, but I feel like I need to believe in something. Magic itself isn't enough." Her voice tightened with a pained loneliness and emptiness. "I've been looking ever since I got here."

Draco nodded. "Me too, actually." Ginny looked up, surprised. "I told you what my father did to me. I needed something to believe in, too. Something reason to believe there was still good in the world, or that it was there to begin with. A reason to believe that everything my father taught me was wrong." Draco's eyes filled with years of pain, and then, suddenly, a spark of humor lit in his face and a hint of a smile crossed his lips. "I started looking at something Pagan a few years ago. It seemed to work really well for my sisters."

Ginny's eyebrows shot up. "Sisters?"

Draco laughed, that light taking over more of his face. "Yeah, I have two baby sisters. Twins, actually. They're just a year younger than you, about." The confusion must have been written across her face, because he went on. "Mum sent them to the Salem Institute in America. Father never cared for them – he's got something against the concept of daughters – and Mum couldn't stand for them to be involved with the threat of the Dark Lord that hangs over this place. Father insisted I study here, but he couldn't care less about the Gemini." More confusion, another laugh. "That's what we call the twins, the Gemini. Between the Malfoy and Black naming traditions, they were stuck with astronomical names. They're named after the Gemini twins, Castor and Pollux, except they're girls, so it's Castora and Polluxa." Ginny nodded, but she couldn't get over the look on his face.

"You really love them, huh?"

Draco nodded again. "Yeah. And I guess that's why I got so protective of you, too. You're a lot like them." He looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry about that, by the way. I'm sure you get a lot of that from your own brothers."

She shrugged, understanding it more now. "So are they back in school now?"

"They're actually coming to Hogwarts now," he said, and his voice darkened a touch. "They started last year, being used as leverage against me at first, then they talked the Dark Lord into letting them come, insisting they could help me. They've worked their way back again this term. They'll be back Friday."

Ginny looked confused. "You don't seem happy about that. I'd think you'd be glad to see your sisters."

"Not when their being here puts them in danger. I spent most of my home life trying to protect them, and caught a lot of hell for it. Father doesn't appreciate being told whom he can't hurt, but it worked. But it's out of my hands now, and this term, they won't be hiding."

"So where are they? Why didn't they come on the train?"

Draco looked uncomfortable. "Mum's in hospital still. They insisted on staying with her until she's released."

Ginny smiled, trying to relieve the tension. "Well, I hope I get to meet them."

* * *

Ron and Hermione sat in the back corner of the common room, keeping an eye out for Harry. Ron had wisely stolen the Marauder's Map from Harry, making sure that he couldn't track Ginny. Hermione had charmed it to be Unsummonable, so no matter how many times Harry cried "_Accio, Map!_" in frustration, it wouldn't come. But they were still worried. Harry had been off since last year, following Malfoy around, yelling sensitive information, and having no control over his emotions, but his fixation on Malfoy seemed to have shifted to Ginny.

"I just don't get what's up with him, 'Mione," Ron whispered. "I noticed him coming on to Ginny, but it's old news that he likes her. I mean, they _were_ an item last year, it's not like no one knew. But then he tries to _molest_ her at the Burrow, picks a fight with Malfoy on the platform, and then gets all possessive of Ginny when Malfoy tries to talk to her – even after she's the one who let him in her compartment – and it takes _two spells_ to take him down!"

Hermione shook her head. "I don't know either. He's gotten violent over the past few months. It's like he's lost all morals since Dumbledore died." Her eyes fell pensively on the table. "I bet Professor Dumbledore would have known how to deal with him." Then she looked Ron in the eyes, an edge of anxiety and despair in them. "I'm actually frightened of him." She shook herself and turned her attention back to the Map. She froze when she saw the pair of dots in the library.

Ron looked over, following her gaze. "Oh, don't worry about it. I saw him walking that way – I figured they'd run into each other." Hermione raised an eyebrow at his offhand attitude. "What? He protected her, right? He's not going to hurt her now. Besides, I have his word – which I trust now." Hermione looked confused and then dropped her head to the table.

"I can't reconcile the words 'Malfoy' and 'friend' in my mind. It's just-" Hermione struggled for the right word. "This conflict has gone on for so long that I can't even remember why we fight anymore. But it's still hard to put aside the animosity and disdain I feel for Slytherin House and Malfoy in particular. He's just so… _frustrating!_"

"I know," Ron agreed, "but it's hard to hate him when he's protecting my little sister in front of the whole school. Especially when he's going against the hatred between our families." He shrugged. "I figure if he can put aside the hatred and care for my sister, why can't I give him a chance?"

Hermione laughed and looked up. "It's almost like a twisted _Romeo and Juliet_, without the suicides." Ron looked confused, and she shook her head. "Never mind. But I'm impressed, Ron. That's incredibly mature of you."

As Ron blushed, Harry hid behind a corner in the shadows, listening. He fought the growl rising in the back of his throat.

"Speaking of Shakespeare," Hermione said lightly, standing, "I have some books due back in the library. I think I'll check on Ginny while I'm there." Harry, unseen, smiled an evil grin.

* * *

Hermione walked into the library to find Draco and Ginny leaning on a bookshelf's end with a book open across their laps, deep in conversation. Draco was actually a very animated speaker, and he and Ginny seemed to be having a bit of an argument over something in the book. She passed on to the counter, but stopped when she heard Ginny's voice.

"But Crowley's so _creepy_! I dunno about you, but the Order of the Golden Dawn scares me." Ginny shivered. "Too many secrets."

"Well, that's kind of the meaning of 'occult,' Gin. Things that are hidden." Draco rolled his eyes a little. "Although I will give you that he's scary. Reminds me a lot of my father." He shook his head, his pale blond hair falling in his eyes. Hermione stared at Malfoy. He seemed so vulnerable, so open and honest in that moment. She doubted this was a side of Draco that many people had ever seen. She slipped out of the library quietly so as not to interrupt, a small smile across her lips.

No one noticed the quiet chuckle in the shadows of another section.

* * *

Hermione slipped into a daze to the sound of her own footsteps on the stone floor. Draco's openness, even secondhand, was stunning. It had caught her off-guard. She didn't hear the harried footsteps down the corridor, or Ron calling her name.

"_'Mione!_"

She snapped out of her reverie. "Ron? What's wrong?" Her pulse quickened, her voice quickly gaining an urgent edge when she saw the panic written across his face.

"Harry!" Ron gasped. "He's in the library, near Draco and Ginny! I think he took the Cloak – no one saw him leave."

Panic rose in Hermione's throat, and her voice rose in pitch. "Go! I'll get McGonagall!" She raced down the hall, adrenaline and fear of Harry's rising psychosis driving her on.

* * *

Ron slowed to a walk as he reached the doors of the library. He didn't want to tip Harry off as to why he was there. He saw Ginny and Draco immediately, leaning against the same bookshelf. He walked over calmly, but his heart still beat in his throat.

Ginny looked up in surprise. "Ron, what are you-!"

"Harry's in here. He must have followed you or Hermione. I think he's further gone than we thought," Ron whispered, trying to maintain calm. The pair noticed his manner and mirrored it. ""Mione's gone to get McGonagall, but Ginny, you need to get away and fast."

Draco cut in. "I'll walk her. She'll be safe in the dungeons. I'll get Snape to help us." Ron looked uncomfortable. "Don't worry. No one will hurt her. She's with me." Rond nodded, and Draco took Ginny's hand and led her calmly to the door. Ron walked to a shelf, pretending to look for a book, but actually looking for some sign of Harry's presence. He had brought the Map, but he didn't dare take it out. He strained his ears for any sound of McGonagall's and Hermione's footfalls in the corridor. He prayed that Draco and Ginny would meet them.

* * *

Hermione grabbed the doorframe of McGonagall's office door, swinging into the little room. The professor looked up in surprise, sharp words on the tip of her tongue until she saw the alarm on Hermione's face.

"Miss Granger?"

"Harry!" Hermione gasped. "He's tracking Ginny!" McGonagall nearly jumped from her desk.

"Lead the way."

* * *

Draco let his worry show more and more on his face as they almost ran toward Slytherin Dungeon. He hissed a word at the plain door that was, apparently, the door into Slytherin House. Ginny balked as everyone stood sharply at the suddent commotion. Draco never released her hand as he kept up the swift pace toward a back room. When he opened the door, Ginny was stunned. It was a private dorm, draped in lush greens. He led her over to the bed.

"Sit," Draco said. His voice was tight and distracted, his mind already onto the next step. "I have to find Snape. I'll send Blaise Zabini in here to keep you company." He touched her shoulder reassuringly and left the room. She smirked slightly when he heard "Keep your hands to yourself in there!" But it wasn't long before the absence of Draco's strong hand opened the floodgates to her panic.

She jumped when the door creaked a bit, and her startled gaze was met by a pair of black, almond-shaped, smiling eyes set into a light brown face fringed by deep brown-black hair. Blaise Zabini grinned at her as he closed the door. You." There was a laugh in his voice. "Do you have any idea what you've done to Draco Malfoy?" Ginny shook her head, too shocked by the incongruousness of his appearance and manner. "He is _so different!_ I think he's hit a new level of chivalry! I have _never_ seen him stand up for a girl outside our House before – especially not one as capable as you. Who are you that he's protected you?" Ginny might have taken that as an insult if Blaise's genuine, curious smile had ever faded, but it never did.

"Honestly, I don't know," Ginny replied sheepishly. She pushed up her sleeves, rubbing her wrists absently. "Just, all of a sudden, he opened up to me in the compartment on the train. He's been so much closer to me ever since." She gave the strange boy a sideways glance. "It's kind of dizzying, to be honest."

Blaise grew thoughtful. "I think leaving the Death Eaters gave him a reason to be more open, but he isn't even that open with _us._" Blaise held Ginny's arm and began to speak, but his voice broke off. Ginny flushed as she realized where his hand was. Blaise's eyes grew wide, and his brow knitted. "You cut?"

Ginny dropped her eyes and pulled out her wand and tapped the inside of her arms with the tip. The glamour over her skin fell and revealed the feathering of pale pink scars on her white skin. Her voice was quiet with shame.

"I'm not as strong as I seem. I can handle conflicts and I can take care of myself, but when things start falling apart and something inside you is dying and there's this _hole _sitting where your heart should be and the only thing you can feel and understand is _pain_…

"Now you see the filth in the beauty."

* * *

**A/N 8 June 2012: **Final edits for Chapter 5.

**A/N 22 June 2012:** I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! I know, this whole editing after publishing thing has got to be annoying, but I just couldn't leave this chapter without the namesake scene. Any Sixth Guns in my audience will get the reference. ^.=.^

The Gemini will be introduced soon, and there will be more character development coming. I foresee this being a very long story, though I don't have any idea how long and only a vague idea where this is going. Scenes have been popping into my mind a lot since I reposted the story, and so I've been writing and working out the plot as I go. Bits and puzzle pieces.


	6. The Depths of Hell and Madness

Chapter 6 – The Depths of Hell and Madness

"Miss Weasley?"

Professor Snape's silky voice caught Ginny off guard. Draco's eyes widened and she caught his gaze on her forearms and quickly pushed down her sleeves. "Yes, sir?"

"I understand that Mr Potter is causing you trouble and even posing a significant threat." Though his tone was calm and composed, she was surprised at the undercurrent to true concern. Ginny nodded. "Would you care to elaborate on your concerns?" It wasn't really a request.

Ginny's voice trembled slightly as she spoke. "Harry somehow managed to find out that I was in my dorm room and snuck upstairs into the room – I don't have any idea how he got past the spells. If I didn't have a door hidden in the wall behind my bed, he would have got me. He growled 'She was supposed to _be here_!' and stormed out of the room." She shivered a moment with the memory of his voice. "He didn't even sound human… When I heard his footsteps fade, I ran to the library to hide. I figured it was easy to lose someone in, and I have a favourite section that I doubt Harry even knows is there. Malfoy was there." Snape nodded, but remained silent. "My brother, Ron, came in while Draco and I were talking about a book – we had moved out to a table so we were in plain sight by this point – and told us that Harry was hiding and watching me in the library and that he must be wearing his Invisibility Cloak. Draco led me here."

Snape grew more still. "How did he know Mr Potter was there if he snuck out in an Invisibility Cloak?" Ginny hesitated. "Come now, Miss Weasley, don't try to hide anything! Especially if Mr Potter has gone as insane as it appears and has you in his sights."

Ginny sighed. "Harry has a map – it's called the Marauder's Map – that shows the whole of Hogwarts, and everyone in the building shows up as a dot with their name next to them. It doesn't matter if you're in another form or under an Invisibility Cloak – it will show you and your true name. Ron stole it from him so Harry couldn't stalk me with it. They've been keeping tabs on him – they must not have had it when he was in my room." Once again, Snape nodded. There was a knock on the door.

"Professor?"

"Yes?"

"Professor McGonagall is requesting entrance for her and a Gryffindor student. Should we allow them?"

Snape nodded. "Standard search, then allow them." The Slytherin nodded and shut the door again.

"Well, Miss Weasley, it seems that you are indeed in some danger. Unfortunately, I cannot extend asylum to you, as there has been no real attempt to harm you. But I _will_ speak to your Head of House to arrange some protection. For now, you may remain with Mr Malfoy and Mr Zabini to keep you company here." Then he swept from the room.

The moment Snape was gone, Draco rushed to Ginny. "What happened?" He was shocked and frightened. Blaise looked stunned at Draco's manner, and then smiled to himself.

Ginny was shamefaced again, her gaze dropped and her face flushed with heat. "Depression. It got so bad over the summer. The fact that Harry's mind practically snapped didn't help anything. It's not really a secret that I had a crush on him since his first year. Then he broke it off, saying he didn't want me to get hurt, and I get over him, and then he's embarrassing himself and making me hurt him because he won't stop trying to seduce me." Irritation had worked into Ginny's voice, but it melted into a slight worry when she looked and saw an infinite sadness and pain filling Draco's molten silver eyes. The blond gingerly lifted the sleeves of Ginny's shirt to her elbows, examining the scars. Slowly, he took her into his arms and held her tightly. She felt a few tears wet her shoulder. She scratched the scars uncomfortably.

"Ginny," Draco whispered, "please, don't do this to yourself. I can't bear the thought of your pain, but it's like a knife to the heart to know that you do this to yourself." His voice shook with emotion, and Ginny couldn't help but promise.

Blaise quietly slipped from the room with a smile on his face from what he'd just seen. He nodded to the population of the common room. The atmosphere lightened.

* * *

"Severus, I believe I can take care of my own House!" McGonagall was indignant, and her voice raised an octave to prove it. "You should return Miss Weasley to my custody at once!"

Snape kept his tone calm. "No offense meant, Minerva, but there is an imminent danger facing one of your students, and she couldn't go to you to talk about it. You have the unfortunate tendency to be blind to the downfalls of your students." McGonagall was irate but speechless. "I heard about the riot. The sad fact is that they occur far more often in your House than any other."

"Severus, I resent that you are discounting my actions out of hand! I-!"

"Ah, but I am _not_, Minerva." Snape pulled out a folder. "Here are the statistics take for all Houses in the past ten years. Your fight rates are the highest, and the majority are intra-House conflicts." Minerva was angry, but the fight had gone out of her. She knew it was true.

She dropped into a chair with a frustrated sigh. "So, what do you propose we do?"

"Allow Miss Weasley a private dorm with a watch on her, alternating between Gryffindor friends and my own students. Mr Potter will not harm her if he cannot get near her."

"And what happens if he does? What are we to do if he attacks her between classes or if one of her guards falls asleep?"

Snape's voice was serious and sombre. "I will extend to her asylum in Slytherin House, in which case, she will move into a dormitory in the dungeons, where she cannot be harmed." Severus sat behind his desk, his fingers steepled. There was patience in his voice.

Minerva sighed. "I don't like it, but I suppose it's the best solution."

* * *

Ginny levitated her trunk into her new living space. She was in spare teacher's quarters near the Slytherin Dungeon. Apparently, there were detection wards up for those who weren't supposed to be there. Harry, obviously, was included.

Draco followed her inside, carrying some books. "Lucky girl. Slytherin dorms are private, but this is more of an apartment!" Ginny laughed. "Where do you want these books?"

"Under the table, please, Draco." Ginny placed her trunk in the bedroom at the foot of the bed. She wandered around the quarters, slightly awed at what the teachers got to live in. The sitting room alone was about half the size of the entire Burrow! The décor was rather simple, but it was still far more extravagant than the dormitories. The walls were painted a forest green, and the doorways were hung with green velvet, along with the large four-poster bed. She leaned against the drapery, absentmindedly stroking the fabric. Draco stopped a little ways off of where the books now lay. She snapped out of her reverie when she felt his eyes on her. "What?"

"Blaise was right, of course. He's always right." Draco chuckled at the thought. "There's just something about redheads and green…" Ginny looked confused. Draco walked over, brushing her jaw with his fingertips and leaned into her, his lips brushing her ear as he spoke. "It's beautiful." His voice was barely above a whisper, and she shivered with the intensity of it. Draco laughed again as he backed away again. Ginny was stunned by his open face and musical laugh, louder than she'd ever heard it.

Draco turned to the door to leave, but stopped and gave Ginny one of his real, somewhat crooked, smiles. "I'll leave you to get settled in, but, when you're ready, the password into Slytherin is 'loyal' if you want to visit. No one will shun you. We've all been hunted at one point or other ourselves." He opened the door and left Ginny alone with her thought and a stunned expression. Ginny sank into one of the sitting area chairs, hand at her throat and breathless. In truth, she wasn't surprised at the fact that he gave her the password or anything; she was trying to recover from his being so close. Her head spun from his scent, the warmth of his skin seemed to burn against her cheek. She had a hard time thinking clearly. "Beautiful," she breathed. "He said I was _beautiful!_"

A thought occurred to Ginny, and a smirk crossed her face. She scurried from her room, being very careful to stay out of the general view. She found the Room of Requirement and, with her intentions well in mind, opened the door. Once again, the room astounded her with its extravagance. There were massive bolts of fabric, scores of shades of green in lush textiles. She told the room to keep her safe while she worked, grabbed several bolts of fabric and started to sew.

* * *

Harry dragged the box of Quidditch equipment out to the pitch, slung the locks open and let a Bludger fly into the air. He grabbed a bat and took off from the ground on his Firebolt. He knocked the Bludger across the pitch, imagining Malfoy's smug face on the ball. "Son of a –!" The crack of the bat drowned out his curse. "I _will_ get her back, you _snake!_" Harry growled some unintelligible threats at the Slytherin, cracking the steel wrap on the bat with his next hit.

* * *

Hermione knocked on the door to the Room of Requirement. Ginny looked mildly surprised when she opened the door. "Oh, hey, 'Mione. What's wrong? Harry?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, he's railing on about Draco – he's out beating a Bludger on the pitch." Hermione peered in the door. "May I come in?"

"Yeah!" Ginny let her in, moving away from the door. "I'd like your opinion on something, anyway." Hermione looked at the room curiously. "I've been sewing."

"That's a lot of green fabric, Gin."

Ginny chuckled sheepishly. "They moved me into some empty teacher's quarters and there was a green velvet drape on the bed… Draco said it looked beautiful against my skin." She blushed. "I'm in over my head, aren't I?"

Hermione shook her head, stunned. "I just don't understand how you can set aside the strain between you. I don't get how you can go from hating him to being head-over-heels for him."

"I don't know, but it's… amazing! But I can't explain it to you. He's so open with me now – it's like who he was to me before never was a real person, had never been. It's like he was playing a character on a stage. It's hard to hate him when he takes care of me anyway." Ginny picked up her work. "Let me go put this on and you can tell me what you think."

Ginny stepped behind the screen and Hermione's mind wandered. Her mind boggled at how Ginny's evaluation of Draco's behaviour so closely mirrored her own. Draco was such a different person from the callous, superior Slytherin they had all seen and hated. But it was even weirder for her to see Ginny so caught up in this new Draco. Her musings were interrupted, however, when Ginny walked back out in her creation and Hermione's jaw dropped.

The ginger had taken her hair down from that day's plait, and it fell in soft waves to her waist. Her alabaster skin almost glowed as it flowed flawlessly down her throat and to her chest. A satin corset wrapped around her full breasts, elegantly concealed boning holding her firmly in place. The corset fit snugly against her body while velvet lacings held it closed. A pair of low-rise jeans hugged her round hips and hard, strong legs, but even the perfect fit wasn't the shocking thing. The corset and jeans was obviously a matched pair because Ginny had embroidered a magnificently detailed dragon in green and silver thread that spread over both pieces. The dragon's head was stitched to lie over Ginny's left breast and its wings wrapped around her torso, the tail curling lazily around Ginny's right leg. Hermione was dumbstruck.

"So… What do you think?" Ginny prompted her.

"It's amazing!" Hermione exclaimed breathlessly. "How long have you been working on this?"

"Oh, just a couple of hours," Ginny said offhandedly. Hermione was speechless. "Do you think he'll like it?" The redhead ground the toe of her shoe into the floor, looking sheepish.

Hermione laughed, still a little off-balance by Ginny's timeframe. "Ginny, if Draco Malfoy doesn't have to personally fight every male in the school off of you in that outfit, they are all blind. And if he doesn't like it, then I know a few girls who'd be willing to let you experiment!"

Ginny put a mock thoughtful finger to her lip. "I guess it's alright then and they both broke into gales of laughter.

"Go get your man, Ginny. He's been pacing since he left your room."

Ginny smiled brilliantly, then too her out-of-sight route back to the Dungeons.

* * *

The only sound that accompanied Ginny as she made her way past the Astronomy Tower was the slight shushing sound of the hem of her cloak as she carried it over her arm and her footsteps. She basked in the early September warmth that still carried over into the castle, glad that it was warm enough that she could still go without the cloak after classes. She heard the slight bustle from the Great Hall and the sounds of many sets of silverware clinking against plates. _It must be dinnertime,_ she thought, but she wasn't hungry. _I'll go put my cloak in my room and I'll meet Draco down at Slytherin House when everyone is back from dinner._ She was anxious to see his reaction, but Ginny made herself relax.

She let out a slight squeal and struggled when a strong hand clamped over her mouth. She recognized the musky scent of male sweat and the heat of a body fresh from a harsh workout, but there were no tremors in the lean muscles that held her. "Scream," growled a low voice, "and I will kill you." Ginny recognized the harsh voice with a shock: Harry. She fought harder, but couldn't get leverage. Harry spun and slammed her, face first, into the rough stone wall of a pitch-dark alcove. He roughly untied the velvet straps of her corset, tearing the garment from her body. He started biting her shoulder hard – too hard – as he ripped open the buttons of her jeans and pushed them and her knickers to the ground. Ginny tried to scream and bite Harry's hand, but he just held on tighter. Still, she fought; she couldn't just give in to him. He flipped Ginny around on the wall and she tried to scream again.

Harry pulled his wand from his pocket. "_Silencio!_" he growled. "Now, Ginny, you know better than that. You don't _really_ want to die, now do you?" Ginny railed against his patronizing tone – he spoke to her just as he had outside her room at the Burrow. She tried to swing at him, but he grabbed her forearm and slammed it against the wall. "Oh, don't act like you don't want this, you little bitch. You know you want me. They all want me. You're just too high and mighty and 'pure' to admit that you want to fuck me just like all the little tarts and sluts at this school I've already had." Ginny would have snarled if she could have, and her teeth were bared like the dragon she had sewn. Naked and bruised, Ginny coiled her body, but when she tried to strike, Harry smacked her down into the wall with such force that her head bounced off the stone. Harry stood over her like Death itself.

"You _bitch! You lying, unfaithful, snake-loving WHORE!_" His whole body was a shadow in the near-blackness of the alcove, but Ginny could feel the power and rage rolling off of him in waves. Harry tore the fly if his jeans open, crushing Ginny to the cold stone floor, prying her thrashing legs apart. "Hell of a Gryffindor _you_ are! Fighting against me to be with some cold-blooded _snake_ over me! You are _MINE, bitch,_ and if you can't _learn _that on your own, I'll _TEACH YOU!_"

If she could have screamed, Ginny's shriek of terror and pain would have echoed clearly into the busy Great Hall as Harry stabbed himself into her virgin body with pure hatred and malice. He backhanded her across her already bleeding head as she tried hysterically to fight him off. He was just too heavy! Her strength was nearly gone and she could feel her will to fight seeping from her like the blood dripping down her thighs with every thrust of his hips. She wished they could hear her, that _Draco_ could hear her. Harry hit her again, knocking her back to the floor and pinning her forcefully to the rough stone. He slammed into her, all his strength in every thrust, the shock scraping her bare skin over the stones that tore at her flesh. Another blow landed, and Ginny cried out again, the sounds of her pain extinguished by the spell.

Ginny felt a sticky wetness growing on the stone floor beneath her. She had long since lost the will to move. It was if all sensation, physical or otherwise was centred on the pain Harry was causing her. Her head spun from the blows he had landed and the world around her was slightly fuzzy. With a final attempt at breaking free, she aimed a swipe at Harry's chest and knocked him off as her nails cut into the skin of his chest. Harry retreated with a feral snarl, his hands going to the wounds. Ginny scurried back from him. Harry lashed out with a brutal kick to her side, sending the near-broken redhead sprawling. Harry jumped on her, beating her mercilessly, and Ginny could feel the bones breaking. She tried to fight him off, but she didn't have the strength left in her, she merely curled in on herself to protect as much of her already damaged body as she possibly could. Finally, though she could feel the impact of Harry's fists and her bones giving way, the pain never reached her. She looked blankly into the shadows. She was finally numb.

* * *

"Ginny? _Oh my God, Ginny!_"

Her eyes flickered open just briefly. _Why do I hurt so badly? Owww…_ Ginny tried to move, but the sharp, splintering pain in her ribs made her stop. _I wonder if I'm even still alive. That voice… so like an angel's…_

"Ginny! Ginny, oh God, Ginny, please! Speak to me!"

_I'm here, but where are you? And why are you so panicky? I can't be that bad… _She tried to move again, but stopped with a whimper at the pain again. _Maybe I can. This can't be Heaven, it hurts too much!_

She whimpered as warm arms lifted her slowly from the stone floor. "Please, baby, speak to me. Let me know you can hear me." Warm, salty tears fell onto her bloody, grimy face. "Oh, Goddess, she's cold as death!" the voice whispered, and the sound was tortured. One of the tears fell near her lips and she licked it. The salt tasted good, and the voice must have seen her move because he cried out, "_Professor!_" His voice broke, but the call was loud and his voice was clear. She whimpered and tried to turn from the sound. "Sorry, sweetness," he whispered, stroking her blood-soaked hair. Ginny heard footfalls.

"Draco, what's wrong?" Ginny moaned slightly, knowing the voice but unable to place it. She knew Draco, and snuggled closer through the pain, starting to shiver. She felt a cloak drape over her.

A growl entered the beautiful voice. "I think she was raped."

"Miss Weasley, were you raped?" She nodded the smallest of nods, whimpering in pain. He grunted angrily. "Let's get her out of here and back to the Dungeon. We'll call Madam Pomfrey down there." Draco gathered her up, wrapping her in the cloak. She cuddled into his chest.

"Come on, ginger, let's go."

* * *

Draco paced outside the room where Ginny was being examined. He was furious, but worried. Angry tears streaked down his face and he didn't bother to wipe them away. Blaise watched him from the chair.

"Draco, sit, please," the dark-eyed boy pleaded. "The house elves will have to replace the carpet." Blaise tried to joke, but the humour wouldn't come to his voice. He stood and steered Draco to a chair. "She's not going to get healed any faster with you pacing."

Draco dropped his head in his hands. "Blaise, I just want to kill him. I had that Map; I saw her fly across that alcove. It was Potter. I watched him run away! That son of a bitch needs to _die!_" His tears coursed furiously down his flushed alabaster face. "How could he _do_ this to her?"

Blaise looked with quiet rage at the door. "I don't know, Draco. I suppose the same way that your father did it to you and my stepfather to me. But you know what they say about rape." The deep black eyes focused on Draco, full of pain and sympathy. "It's not about sex, it's about control. He may be trying to force her back into his concept of loyalty to the House, and loyalty to him." Blaise's face was pained. "I know how you feel about her, Draco. It's easy to see, and – believe me – the whole House is glad for you. Nobody's even upset that she's a Weasley." Draco looked surprised, but Blaise just kept talking. "You've been so dark and pained for so long, we're just glad you're happy." His face darkened with anger. "We all want him dead for this. He's not only hurt her but destroyed her, too, and he's hurt you. You know we don't take that well. None of us will let this go quietly. Not to mention your sisters." Blaise paused then, a look of absolute horror passing over his features. "Oh, buggering fuck. Your sisters are going to kill me for not coming to get them before I came to check on you. I sent Theo to get her brother, but I forgot about them."

Draco opened his mouth to speak, but the door to the exam room opened. He stood anxiously as Madam Pomfrey came out of the room, looking a little tired and quite disturbed. "You may go in now, Mr Malfoy. She's been asking for you." Draco thanked her quickly and rushed into the room.

"Ginny," he breathed. He gasped as she turned toward him. Bruises covered her face and shoulders. "Ginny, baby girl, why'd she leave you like this? You're still all dirty." Ginny stopped him before Draco pulled out his wand.

"She has to go over my wounds with McGonagall and Snape. She's leaving them there until she does." She winced. "All the bleeding's stopped, though."

"That's good, at least." Draco stroked her hand. "May I sit?" His eyes walked over her with pain and anger in them, seeing all the damage to this magnificent beauty.

"Please." Ginny's voice was soft, tired. Draco looked at her, concerned, as she lowered himself to the edge of the bed. "It's just the pain. It's exhausting." Her eyes drifted closed, but she didn't let go of his hand. She remained silent for a while, and Draco sat quietly with her, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.

His eyes surveyed the bruises, the places where bones had been broken and set, but not fully mended. _How could someone, anyone, do this to someone like Ginny? I swear, Potter, on my life that if you so much as touch her again, you won't survive it._

Ginny drew a breath – Draco looked back to her face attentively. "Draco?" she said. Her voice was tired, but shook slightly with fear. "Can you stay with me when Madam Pomfrey goes over the damage?"

Draco found and unbruised spot on her hand and kissed it. "Of course," he whispered. "I'll be right here with you."

The silence continued for a while more, but the anxious edge had dulled. They both looked up when the door opened again. "It's time," Madam Pomfrey announced, and Draco gripped Ginny's hand as she began to shake.

* * *

"Weasley! Granger!"

The two Gryffindors turned to see a dark-haired, light-skinned Slytherin walking briskly toward them "What?" Ron walked to join him. "Something happen?" An urgent, business-like edge to his voice compelled Hermione to join him, jogging to keep up with him.

The boy put out his hand to stop Ron. "I'm Theodore Nott. Draco's busy. I have some bad news." Ron tensed. "Ginny's been raped."

Ron froze, mouth open, stunned speechless. Then, as he regained himself, he flushed with anger. "How? Who did it? _Why wasn't anyone WATCHING?_"

Nott proceeded in a carefully calm voice. "It was a watch change, during dinner. Draco was getting the Map and found her on it just toward the end. He saw Potter knock her against the wall of the alcove by the passage to the Astronomy Tower. She had been silenced, and no one could have heard her anyway because of the noise." Theo looked at Ron. His deep eyes were filled with a sympathetic pain and an anger that mirrored the ginger's. "She is safe now, being cared for in Slytherin Dungeon. We will care for her – and she will be avenged."

As Ron fumed, Hermione stepped up. "May we see her?"

"I believe Madam Pomfrey is in the process of reviewing her injuries with McGonagall and Snape before they are fully healed, but you can probably see her after. Follow me." Theo turned on his heel and led the way.

* * *

**A/N 8 June 2012: **Final edits for Chapter 6.

Okay, here's the commentary. Hopefully, I have adressed a lot of the characterization issues that you guys had issues with in the original timeline. Some events have been changed, even significantly, but now there's a good bit more planning and an actual general plotline, which is more that I had when I started writing this several years ago. I don't know if your reviews still exist for the previous editions, but I hope I haven't lost you guys since the crazy takedown I did months ago. Now, you get 5 new chapters in one go!

I do want your critique, but flaming will not be tolerated. I _will_ delete those reviews. The rape scene exists because it is the plot hook to explore some of the themes and mental states I want to explore through this timeline. Yes, Ginny and Draco are a touch flat, not to mention OOC, but that is also intended. Depression tends to flatten one's personality, as does going back to the drawing board when you redefine yourself. I am going into the psychology of this a bit for my own amusement and reasons, so if you don't like some serious angst and downright emotional turmoil in your romance, you may want to find another fanfic to read.

Read, review, but please don't flame!

**Edit 8 June 2012: **Okay, usually I wouldn't do this. I know I said flames won't be tolerated and will be deleted, but this hits a fuckin' button. If this hadn't been anonymous, I would be reporting this.

I received this anon review on the story:

"to be honest, i don't care if you delete this because it is a bad story. harry is completely ooc and and it is an overt bash fic. bash fics deserve flames. to be honest ginny deserved what she got for siding with everyone against harry and draco should be in azkaban for allowing deatheaters into hogwarts. the plot is too thin and too contrived to bring ginny and draco together. also draco wouldn't beat harry on his best day and severus wouldn't be teaching after killing dumbledore. you really need to rework this or delete it"

Anon, I don't care if you don't like my story. Yes, I bashed Harry, quite literally in fact, and he is _purposefully _out of character. I did that for a reason. This isn't all a happy fluffy romance story, and I had inspiration from another wonderfully written fic for the concept. I get the impression, though, that you're a canonite Serpent-hating Gryffindor bashing on one of my favorite characters who, in canon, showed himself to be much more complex and in a helpless situation where, were he not to be Marked and follow orders, he would have died very quickly. Add to that your everything-bad-about-Gryffindor attitude toward this _very proudly Slytherin author, _and I just can't take your critique seriously. Plus, Severus _did teach after killing Dumbledore. _Remember the 7th book? Not only was he still on staff, _he was the bloody Headmaster. _If you're going to nit pick my canon, make sure you get yours right.

But you did something unforgivable. **You condoned the violent and potentially deadly rape of a girl who defended herself against a sexual predator. **Yes, I wrote the scene. I wrote Harry that way. But in doing so, I do not condone his actions. This story explores the effects of depression, self-injury, and rape trauma. I happen to have several dear friends who have either nearly or actually have been raped. I watch these beautiful girls struggle with the pain and trauma **every day of their lives. **

**There is nothing that any person can do to deserve rape. **Certainly not what Ginny did. She may have turned against Harry, but Harry had turned against her by treating her as an object for his use and pleasure, instead of the brilliant and capable human being she was. **Rape can break that. **

Guys, I'm not trying to be preachy with this story. I love Harry, Ron, Hermione... but I'm a Slytherin. I want to show the kinds of things we are truly capable of. Gryffindor, in canon and here, are notorious for turning on each other and being outright cruel and vindictive to their own people, while ridiculing Slytherin for that precise image. In truth, except for perhaps 'puffs, Slytherins are some of the most loyal people you'll meet. You just have to prove yourself first. We are loyal, not trusting. You have to prove yourself, but once we've accepted you, we'll fight to the death for you. But we'll do what's necessary to stay alive, even if that means having to follow orders that may lead to someone's death. **But I cannot be silent about this.**** Rape is rape is rape, and rape is ALWAYS wrong. Victim blaming is WRONG. Blame the rapist. They chose to rape. **

Dumbledore knew what was coming. He could very easily have prevented it, but he knew it was coming, knew Snape would likely have to kill him to keep Draco alive. Narcissa made him swear an unbreakable oath to protect Draco. Severus did what he had to on pain of death.

If you think we're evil, then you aren't paying attention.


	7. Aftermath

Chapter 7 – Aftermath

Ginny curled in on herself and winced, pulling her blankets closer. She was still shaking from the examination and injury revision, and her still-knitting ribs and wrist objected to the foetal position. She ignored the pain and tried to quell the anxiety and the shaking that wracked her body. Madame Pomfrey had healed many of her injuries quickly, even though the bones were taking a little more time. She had seen Ginny's scars as well, and had fussed over her a bit, trying to convince her to undergo therapy for the depression and self-injury as well as the rape. She was gentle and supportive, and Ginny nodded her head at the suggestion. Draco had been by her side the whole time, politely averting his gaze from her bared body during the whole process, and instead focused on her face and trying to keep her calm. Draco saw the pain cross her face and stroked her still-tangled hair.

"Careful, you don't want to unset the bones."

She nodded and relaxed, and blinked away the tears that blurred her vision. She'd cried enough tonight. The frustration and anger kept welling up inside her – she didn't want to be in this bed anymore, but she didn't want to move. She was exhausted, but the image of Harry's snarling face and the infuriating feeling of helplessness assaulted her when she closed her eyes. Every other thought she had was about what she could have done differently. She could have prevented it if she had only been stronger.

She hated herself for feeling so weak.

A soft knock at the door startled her slightly and she jumped, her head snapping to look at the door. Draco touched her face gently and rose to answer it. Nott stood there, and Ginny could see that he was a touch antsy, even through his businesslike manner. "Ginny has some visitors, if she's up to it," he told Draco, nodding his head to Hermione and Ron. Ron was wringing his hands, looking both furious and worried, and Hermione was bouncing a bit on the balls of her feet. It appeared that Ron's concern for his sister outweighed his homicidal rage toward Harry, at least for the moment. Draco looked at her, the question gentle on his face. She blushed, still dressed in the hospital gown and wrapped in a blanket, but nodded. Ron rushed to her, nearly knocking Theo into the doorframe in his haste. The cool-mannered boy shook his head.

"Gin!" Ron exclaimed, wide-eyed and looking very much like his mother's son. "Are you okay?" She raised an eyebrow, pleased that she could summon a bit of humor at her brother. "Well, I guess that was a stupid question, but are you hurt? What did he do? Did Madame Pomfrey get you all sorted out? What happened?!" He blushed and quit babbling when Hermione rested a hand on his shoulder.

Hermione looked concerned, but she kept her voice calm. "Ginny, we need to know what happened."

"I already told McGonagall and Snape," Ginny replied with a hint of acid in her voice. "I think it's handled at the moment, and I really don't want to talk about it again." She tried to keep the edge to her voice, but she clenched her hands into fists as they started to quiver again, furious with herself for being so vulnerable. Ron noticed, and she saw his temper flare. "Ron, please, don't-"

"I'm not cross with you," he responded tightly. "I can't be cross with you about this. It's not your fault." His ears were growing red like they did when he was angry, but Ginny could see that he was restraining himself. She sighed and squeezed her eyes shut against the tears again. She heard Hermione make a whimpering sound and sit down on her bed. Her voice shook, just a little.

"Boys, could I have a moment with Ginny alone, please?" Ginny knew Draco would hesitate, and she nodded that it was okay. She felt Ron rise from the bed and heard the boys' footsteps retreat and the door close. Ginny opened her eyes to see Hermione's full of tears, shamefaced.

"I shouldn't have let you go back to your room alone."

* * *

Ron paced, clenching and unclenching his hands. Draco watched him, waiting for the ginger to stop his prowling and pounce on him. He didn't have to wait long. Ron rounded on him, ruddy and snarling. Draco realized that the comparison of this particular Gryffindor to a lion was strikingly apt. Ron's voice was full of rage. "_You! _You _promised_ you'd protect her!"

Draco just nodded, angry with himself. He felt he deserved Ron's rage, and looked him steadily in the eyes. "Yes, Weasley, I did," he said softly, the shame evident, though the tone was calm. "I failed to keep that promise, and it ended horribly." Ron seemed taken aback. Draco supposed he had expected his haughty attitude, or maybe for him to cower. He didn't know, but he was seething at himself for not having been there. Draco knew, at some level, that there was no way that this had been his fault – anyone's fault except Potter's – but he couldn't help but blame himself.

Then he blinked; the fact that he was so concerned for Ron Weasley's little sister, that he was so angry at himself for allowing her to get hurt, struck him finally. He realized how supremely odd this situation was, how quickly things had changed this year. A small laugh escaped him as he realized what was so unusual about this whole scene. His voice was wry when he spoke, his eyes breaking away from Ron's for just a second, and a small smirk crept its way onto his face. "A Weasley is standing in Slytherin House, snarling in my face about promises and how harm befell his sister, and I am standing here, agreeing with his anger toward me." He looked back at Ron, a look of dry humor on his face. "Things certainly have changed around here."

Ron looked at Draco oddly for a minute, his anger derailed, and then cracked a wry smile of his own. "Yeah, I guess they have."

Ron walked over to a couch and sank into it heavily. Draco followed, sitting and watching his erstwhile enemy quietly. Ron sighed. "I just don't get it. Harry's my best mate, and he's been through the wringer in the last few years, what with You-Know-Who trying to kill him every time we turn round, but he's always been fine. Now… I dunno what's happened to him."

Draco shrugged. "I've been waiting for Potter to go off his nut for years now. He's always surprised me how he kept bouncing back. Made my father very anxious to get me Marked. I think the Dark Lord was breathing down his neck to get another person in around Potter, maybe make it easier to get at him." Draco caught Ron's sideways look and realized he was rubbing his forearm absently. "Yeah, it's there. Don't know how to get rid of it, but I'll figure it out eventually. Mum hates it. She nearly tried to take Father's head off his shoulders when she found out." Draco smiled at the memory, and then frowned. "He nearly killed her that night."

Ron looked confused and aghast. "Why'd your Mum have a problem with you getting Marked? Isn't your family all Death Eaters?"

Draco tossed him a scathing look. "Not all Slytherins are evil, cold-hearted bigots, Weasley. Some of us realize that, sometimes, it's better to appear complicit and remain safe than paint a target on our backs. My mother is one of them." He relaxed and his tone softened. "Mum is concerned with keeping us alive more than pretty much anything else. And I'm more concerned with keeping _them_ alive and well. Only Father is invested in the Dark Lord's philosophy."

More confusion crossed Ron's face. "'_Us'?_"

"I have twin sisters. A year younger than Ginny, and they're brilliant, but Father always hated them. He wasn't exactly interested in having girls, but it shut my mother up to let them live." His voice was deadpan and serious, and Ron seemed to realize that he wasn't exaggerating. "I spent most of my life protecting them against his rages, and I'd do anything to spare them from my family. They're actually the reason I took the assignment last year. Aunt Bella tortured them in front of me until I consented. They were furious with me, but what else could I do? She'd have broken them – _killed them – _if I hadn't. And then they wormed their way into Hogwarts to help me, even though Mother always sent them to America for school to keep them away from that retched snake-lord." Venom rose in his voice at the mention of Voldemort. "Of course, they're just as cunning as any Slytherin alive, so they scammed their way into a rather favored position in order to protect _me._ So Mum, unable to stop any of her children from risking their lives, tracked down Snape and made him swear an Unbreakable Oath to kill Dumbledore if I couldn't. And yes," Draco added, "Snape _did_ kill him. He had to. I couldn't do it, he had sworn, and Dumbledore himself told him to carry through with it. The old loon wasn't as off as he seemed, queer as he was. But everyone knew that the Dark Lord would have killed me if Dumbledore had lived. Thankfully, all I had to bear was a few minutes of the Cruciatus because he was so happy the plan had worked out after all." Draco shook his head and laughed at Ron's look of shock. "Mum knew I could never kill Dumbledore. He was a nutty old codger, but he'd never done me wrong. So she protected me." He smirked. "I doubt she's much different than your mum in that respect."

Ron shook his head, bemused. "You know, Malfoy, I guess I was wrong about you. Hell, if this is what you're really like, we were _all_ wrong about you." The ginger looked at Draco with a small smile. "I'm glad you care about Ginny. Even with our history, you're a damn sight better than _Harry _at the moment. I don't know where things will go from here, but I won't get in your way with her." Ron's face sobered sharply then. "Just remember that's she's my only baby sister. _Our_ only baby sister. You hurt her, and you'll have _eight Weasleys_ to reckon with."

Draco smiled. "It's nice to know I have your blessing." Ron smirked.

"_Draco!_"

Draco and Ron turned to look down the corridor where the call came from to see a pair of platinum blonde girls in Hogwarts uniforms streaking down the hallway towards them. Draco laughed and stood just in time to catch them. "Hey, you two! How's Mum?"

"Fine," one answered breathlessly.

"Released this morning," the other finished. Ron smirked at the obvious twins – apparently his brothers weren't the only ones that took turns talking. "Unimportant. What happened?" Draco sighed, and the second twin gave him an insistent glare that reminded Ron distinctly of his mother – if his mother were a short, slight, platinum blonde that wore dark eyeliner that made her pale green eyes stand out starkly on her creamy face. Draco seemed to cave under that gaze.

"Ginny Weasley was raped by Harry Potter, at least in part for talking to me and not giving in to his advances," he responded in a businesslike tone. The twins froze and blinked for a second, then looked at each other with the same grave shock written on their faces.

The first twin spoke again, her smoky eye makeup giving her stormy grey-blue eyes a dangerous sort of edge that, while more subtle than her sister's, was equally terrifying. Ron watched her wavy hair move as she talked with her hands. "So, let me get this straight: Harry Potter – the Wizarding world's last great hope – has fallen to raping his ex-girlfriend for what he views as betrayal?" Draco nodded. "Well, _fuck._" She turned to her sister, whose head was in her hand. "He's gone and done it."

"We told him not to."  
"I told you he would."  
"Too dangerous."  
"Too fragile."  
"Too easily out of control."  
"He'll be _entirely_ out of control soon."  
"If he isn't already."

"Excuse me," Ron piped, and the twins' gazes snapped to him, "but who are you talking about? Who's done what?"

"Voldemort," came the unison reply, and Ron flinched.

Draco cut in. "Ron, remember I was telling you about my sisters? Well, here they are, the Malfoy Gemini." The twins cracked identical feline smirks, and the one with the dark-rimmed eyes turned and strode slowly over to him.

"You must be Ron Weasley." The slow drawl of her accent was so very unnerving when paired with those black-rimmed gray-green piercing eyes. He gulped and nodded, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. "I'm Castora. You can call me Cas, if you'd like, since you apparently get along with my brother."

The other twin spoke, the same drawl colored with an elegant mischief. "Polluxa. You can call me Luxe." She twisted one platinum curl around her perfectly manicured finger.

"Girls, quit scaring him. He looks like a cornered mouse!" Draco tried to suppress an amused grin at Ron's pale face.

"Sorry." The smiles on their faces said otherwise. Then, perfectly together, they sobered and looked back to Draco, who continued his introduction.

"They became the Dark Lord's tacticians in order to help me last year, thus how they know that. They are brilliant strategists, and the Dark Lord didn't take kindly to father's having hidden them away for so long." A smirk stole across the Malfoys' faces at that. Ron got the impression that Lucius suffered for that mistake. Castora confirmed the suspicion when she spoke.

"It's a transgression he'll not soon repeat." Ron didn't know whether to be terrified by the evil grin on her face and the near-sadistic giggle that escaped Polluxa or be inspired to glee at Lucius' pain. He decided on both and grinned nervously back at her.

Draco thought about something. "Wait, how did you know something happened?"

"I told them." Blaise walked up to the group. "I went to get them after you found Ginny and got her here. Those two would have _killed_ me if I hadn't." The twins just grinned at him. Polluxa even leaned up to peck him on the cheek, as if rewarding him for his foresight. "Theo got the Gryffindors." He nodded to Ron, who had gone back to staring at the door.

* * *

Hermione just sat there for a moment, picking nervously at her nails and tucking her unruly hair behind her ear. Ginny just watched her from inside her blanket cocoon, waiting for her to speak. After a minute or so, Hermione drew a shaky breath and looked at Ginny. She could read the discomfort and shame in Hermione's eyes, but also that the older girl would not let herself back down from what she needed to say. That didn't stop her eyes' welling up with tears when she spoke.

"I shouldn't have let you go back to your room alone." Her voice was tight and quiet, and she tried to blink back the tears. "I should have gone with you." The tears spilled out and fell to the blanket and her control cracked just a bit further.

Ginny shook her head, partially to quell the angry voice inside her that desperately wanted to lash out at the older girl and blame her; to give her someone to hate other than herself. "You didn't know, Hermione. You couldn't have known. You came up after your shift with the Map, and he was otherwise occupied when you'd left." Hermione shook her head violently, obviously blaming herself as much as Ginny was fighting not to. "I don't blame you. I refuse to. There was no reason you should have known, and there's nothing you could have done."

"I knew he was a danger to you. I knew he could have been anywhere by then. I should have gone with you, but I didn't, and you got hurt because of it!"

"Oh, _shut it, Hermione_!" Ginny's patience was failing. "Maybe you should have come. Don't think I haven't gone through every possible thing that might have gone differently! Don't think there isn't a _very_ strong desire to blame you for this, but I _won't_. Do you know _why?_" Hermione shook her head. "Because there's really only one person _to_ blame for what happened: Harry Potter. _He _did this, and so _he_ is the one to blame."

Hermione blinked at her for a moment, looking like she wanted to protest, but then went to digging through her pockets. She pulled out a little silver ring and offered it to Ginny, who took it, confused. The ring was a tiny dragon clutching a small, light green stone in its claws, wrapped bodily around it. Hermione found her voice and pointed to the stone. "It's aventurine. It's used in healing talismans, especially in longer healing processes. I charmed it to help you recover, and to support body and mind. But it's also a way to call for help." Ginny looked at her as Hermione produced another silver ring, also a dragon wrapped around a green stone, but this was a larger and heavier – a man's ring. The stone was darker and opaque. "This one is serpentine. It enhances a feeling of purpose and clears mental debris. The ring heats up when you're in distress to alert the wearer, and the stone helps them focus on the signal and find you. I can give this one to Draco if you want."

Ginny nodded, admiring the miniscule craftsmanship. "Where did you get these?"

"They were in the Room of Requirement when you left." She tucked her hair behind her ear again. "They were in a jewelry box together, and they looked like a matched set. I thought they would go well with your outfit, so I grabbed them. When Nott came to get us, it occurred to me that I knew the spell and charmed them on the way. I can make more, if you want."

Ginny nodded again, slipping the little ring on her right hand. It fit perfectly. "Yeah, might be a good idea. You think of everything, 'Mione."

Hermione shook her head. "Not everything. This feels like too little, too late."

* * *

"So what's the plan now?"

Draco sighed heavily at Polluxa's question. He felt like he'd been doing that a lot lately. "I honestly don't know, Luxe. This isn't the kind of situation I'm used to." He rubbed the bridge of his nose, working out the tension that seemed determined to knit his brows. "They moved her into spare teachers' quarters down here after he started following her and had threatened harm. I think they're going to seal it off from the main corridor and connect it to Slytherin Dungeon now. She'll have been officially granted asylum here. She was assaulted, at least in part, for associating with a Slytherin, so there was no question. I don't know what will be done about Potter."

"Where is she now?" Castora asked quietly.

Draco nodded to the door across the corridor. "They turned that room into a private ward so Potter couldn't find her. Granger is in there with her now."

Ron cocked his head, snapping out of his reverie of staring at the door hiding his baby sister. "Should I go get Bill? She was always his favorite, and they're really close. She'd tell him everything."

Draco nodded. "That's probably a good idea. She's been really nervous. Seems like someone like that could calm her." Ron nodded and got up to get his brother.

"We're going to talk to her," Luxe started.

"You realize that, right?" Cas finished.

Draco nodded again, cracking a little smile at his sisters. "Of course. I think I'd be disappointed if you didn't. But not right now. You probably need to give her some time before you do."

"Of course."

* * *

There was a knock on the door and Ginny looked up to see Bill stick his head in the door. "Bill!" She started to climb off the bed.

"No, stay there, you." He walked in the room and Hermione gave him her spot on the bed. He scooped his baby sister up in his arms gently. "I'm so sorry, Gin." She broke down then and sobbed into Bill's shoulder. All the pain, tension, and fear seemed to pour out of her at the sound of his strong, stable voice. Hermione slipped out of the door, but the siblings didn't notice. Bill stroked Ginny's hair as she cried. "I am so, _so _sorry this happened. I wish I could have stopped him." She shook her head against him, and he just held her tighter.


End file.
